My Time Is Now
by XxShawns Guardian AngelxX
Summary: Cena is stuck at home with an injury that has put him out the ring for a year. He's not used to being stuck at home and is hating it until he meets an old girlfriend from his past.He had his heart broken once but can someone else mend it? FULL SUM INSIDE!
1. Chapter 1

John Cena sat down in a recliner in Vince's office, his head hanging low between the palms of his hands. Vince McMahon took a seat at the mahogany desk in front of him and eyed him with a look of compassion.

"Cena…"

"Look Vince, I know what you're about to say but don't. I'm not in the mood. Besides, this injury ain't nothing I can't handle," he replied eyeing the cast wrapped around his right arm and shoulder.

"Alright then. As you wish. I'm just…Cena please forgive me. I should have seen this coming." Vince lowered his head and let out a huge sigh.

"Hey Vince, don't you worry about it man. Being WWE Champ has taught me a lot you know. I'm just damned grateful that you believed in me enough to let me be champ. Besides, it's my own fault that I'm injured. No one could have seen this coming."

"Cena, even when you were a little pipsqueak I always knew you had it in ya. That night you wrestled Kurt on Smackdown, even he, a former gold medalist, had to acknowledge your drive."

"Dammit Vince," Cena growled. His frustration was now getting the best of him. "I just…I know my days as champ were numbered anyway but having to miss this pay per view sucks balls boss. I feel kinda bad that I won't be able to put Orton over."

"Don't be. He'll be alright. And between you and me, your buddy will be back soon." Cena sat up straight in his chair, a broad grin forming across his face.

"Shawn…Shawn is…?"

"Yep. His doctor gave him the ok weeks ago but I made him stay out and rest some more. That old coot." Vince gave a haughty chuckled and shook his head. "You know, you and Shawn have that chemistry that's just…"

"I know…don't you dare say it. I've heard from several of the guys and I tell you there's nothing going on between Shawn and me."

"Yeah, ok. If you say so…don't glare at me that way boy. I'm just kidding but you got to admit that the two of you work magic on the screen."

"Yeah and this makes me feel worse because I would love to step in the ring with him again; not necessarily as an opponent but as his tag partner again."

"Yeah, Shawn said the same thing not too long ago. Oh well. Maybe when you're all healed up you two can work together again."

"Yeah…so what about this Sunday? What's the plan?"

"I don't know yet but Bishoff's been helping us out with the script writing and all. He says he has the perfect solution and you know Bishoff," Vince said casually. "In the meantime, don't you worry about a thing. Everything is going to be all right now. Shawn is back as well as his fellow degenerate. Then we have Edge scheduled to return at Survivor Series so go home and get better."

"Go home…damn," Cena said laughing as he rose to his feet, "it's gonna be weird being at home for a year. I've never been one for staying in one place for very long. One of the reasons I love this business so much is because I get to travel."

"You want to know the real reason you feel that way?" Vince asked softly. Cena reached for the doorknob but stopped anyway, a curious smile forming on his lips.

"Sure Vince. Lay it on me."

"It's because you have no one to go home to."

"What? Vince…" Cena scoffed as he opened the door. "You can't be serious."

"I am serious. Find yourself a woman—a _real _woman—during your time off. Then show me how anxious you'll be to get back on the road."

"I don't need a woman Vince. I've been on my own for this long. Why complicate things now?"

"Shawn used to be the same way. You two have a lot in common. Funny I never realized it sooner. You could learn a lot from him just by observing."

"Oh I've seen his new lover…"

"Wife…well, fiancé rather. They are due to be married sometime soon."

"Good for him," Cena said grudgingly. "Well if there's anything else call me up. I'll be at my condo in the GA. Later Vince."

"See ya."

**JC--JC--JC--JC--JC--JC**

Allison let out a sigh as she sat on her bed playing on her laptop. It was a Friday night and as usual she was stuck inside her dorm room staring at the four walls or the bright screen of her computer. Actually, that was only half true. She worked three jobs and tonight was the first night she'd had off in quite sometime. Usually when she got off of her workstudy job, she had to frantically change into her uniform and head over to the local Blockbuster to work on Fridays. Then other nights during the week, she worked a few hours at Sonic. After work, she'd come back to her room to shower and do homework then it was time for bed. _Life_? Yeah, that's what life is like when you're a 23 year old struggling college student.

Her parents divorced when she was only four. Her mom was left to take care of her and her younger brother Martin who was now entering his senior year in high school. He made good grades and was an excellent basketball player. Because of this, he'd be entering his first year at Georgia Tech without having to pay a cent.

Allison signed off of her instant messenger and closed her lap top. She climbed off of her bed and stretched, yawning loudly.

"What a night," she mumbled. She slipped on some shoes, grabbed her keys and headed out the door.

**AB--AB--AB--AB**

When Cena reached his condo in Lithonia Springs, he was not in the best of moods. He hated having to have a chauffer drive him around like a servant. He was never big on riding in limos and having servants. With all the money and fame he was still just plain old Cena. He thanked his driver as he helped him carry his things into his house. The inside of Cena's condo was not what most would have assumed it looked like. In fact, it had a very motherly vibe to it. When you first walked in, you entered a huge living room with pale pink carpet. His living room set was made of cherry wood, the fabric white with patterned flowers of pink and white. The coffee and corner tables were circular shaped and made of glass. They were topped with either beautiful frames of family and friends or vases filled with the nicest assortment of flowers. In the kitchen was the same; the dining set matched the living room set and his long glass counter was topped with nothing but a phone and candy dish. The house was livable but anyone could easily tell that the house had not been lived in for quite sometime. With Cena being on the road so much, he honestly couldn't remember the last time he had been home.

Cena walked down the short hallway and into his bedroom to drop off his things. Just seeing his room draped in WWE gear made him want to break down and cry. He had not been home five minutes and already he was missing being in the ring. He quickly left the room and headed back out the front door.

"Driver, I need to get out for a while. It's…I don't feel like being alone right now."

"Yes, sir. Where to?" asked the driver, closing the door behind him.

"Uh…I don't know…a drink…I need a drink."

"Yes, sir."

**JC--JC--JC**

A few minutes later, Cena was sitting at a booth by himself, drinking a hot latte from Starbucks while staring out the window. It was now pouring down rain but it was still a beautiful night. The city lights seemed to shine on through the murky weather. Some loud voices brought Cena out of his trance. He looked up to see two guys who looked no older than about 20 or 21, arguing with some brown headed female. It looked pretty serious. He took another sip of his coffee and decided to watch the show. He was not one for letting people get hurt, especially women but since they were only arguing he decided it was best not to get involved. After all, he didn't want or need to be recognized.

"Allison, come on. Why are you trippin'?"

"Look Jared, I'm not doing this anymore. I don't want to date you or do anything else for that matter with you anymore."

"But we were getting so close," he said grinning.

"Jared, you only want to sleep with me. I told you that I am not interested in sex with you or anyone else. I only want to finish my studies and then get up out of here."

"That's why she's so lame. Jared, let's get out of here. The ladies from the Ra sorority are having a party tonight and you know Jessica's gonna be there." Allison dropped her spoon in her glass as she stood up. Glaring angrily at Jared, she picked up her keys and attempted to leave but was pulled back by Brandon, Jared's buddy.

"Let go of me! I knew he was seeing someone else!" Brandon just laughed as he continued to pull on Allison's shirt.

"Oh sit down babe. I can explain…"

"Oh now you want to talk. I have to go. I have to work in the morning unlike some people." She jerked away from Brandon and quickly headed out the door. Jared and Brandon jumped up and ran after her. The rain was still pouring and Allison got soaked as she headed to her car. She got in and turned the key but the car would not start.

"Oh no," she groaned. She turned the key a few more times but it still would not start. "Dammit! Of all the nights…" She jumped at the sound of Jared's banging on her window. Why won't he go away…

"Aw come on Alli. Let me make it up to you. How about a ride home?" Allison sighed as she removed the key from the ignition. _I get the feeling that I'm going to regret this…_She got out of the car and stood in front of a grinning Jared. Her jeans and red tank were now sticking to her body as the rain continued to drench them.

"I'd like to get that ride sometime soon before I catch a cold," she mumbled.

"Okay, but we're going to make a stop first."

"Stop? Where?"

"My place," he replied casually. "You know gas ain't cheap and ain't nothing free in this world sweetheart."

"Oh you…figures. I'll walk."

"No, I don't think you understand. Either way you owe me babes." Brandon grabbed her from behind, pulling her arms back.

"LET ME GO YOU BASTARDS!"

"You heard the lady…let her go." All three turned to see Cena standing outside of Starbucks glaring at them menacingly. Both Jared and Brandon looked at each other then started laughing. "I take it I missed the joke cuz there ain't nothing funny about what I said. Let the lady go."

"Or what? You got one free arm and a broken arm. There's two of us so the odds are against you," Brandon said, tossing Allison aside.

"I'm used to the deck being stacked against me. Anyway, you can go on now. All I wanted was the lady not you two prima donnas."

"You're asking for a beat down. Just who the hell are you? She's my woman…"

"I'm not your woman you bastard!" Brandon turned around and slapped Allison in the face causing her to rear back and hit the side of her Honda. He didn't get a moment to enjoy it for next thing he knew he was tasting gravel. Cena had punched him in the back with a fist causing him to plummet to the sidewalk. Cena sat down on top of him staring up at Jared who was too scared to do anything.

"Aren't you gonna help your friend?" Cena asked. Jared studied Cena carefully for a few seconds but decided that Cena was just too big to pick a fight with. He flicked him off before breaking off into a run down the sidewalk. "That pussy," Cena mumbled. He stood up and then pulled Brandon up by the shirt.

"Don't…don't beat me…I didn't…I was just going along with…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, go join your little pussy friend. If I see you pushing other women around again, I'll finish the job. Got that?"

"Yeah…yeah." Cena let him go and Brandon wasted no time taking off down the street. He turned to Allison who was now standing with her arms folded trying to keep warm. The rain had not showed any signs of letting up and both were soaked. "Hey, are you alright?" She looked up at this stranger but was too frightened to speak. After all, he did take down two guys without breaking a sweat. She guessed that he sensed her fear for he took a step back and lifted his free hand.

"Hey…I'm unarmed and everything. If you're upset because I butted in then I'm sorry. I just don't like seeing women being pushed around. I grew up in that kind of environment and I just refuse to let it happen when I'm around."

"No…no…it's…thank you," she replied through chattered teeth. Cena chuckled and then extended his hand.

"I know you don't know me but I promise I won't hurt you. Let me give you a ride home. I saw that you were having car troubles but my driver can give you a lift." She hesitated for a moment but then assessed the situation. She was cold, lonely, and broke without a working vehicle. Could it possibly get any worse?

"Th…thank you." She took his hand and he led her towards a black Explorer. A guy dressed in a navy suit greeted them as he opened the door for them. Allison climbed in back first and Cena followed. The driver closed the door and then got up front.

"Where to sir?"

"Uh…" Cena glanced at Allison but he figured she hadn't heard the driver. She was still running her hands up and down her arms trying to get warm. "Psst…hey."

"Oh…I'm so sorry. Did you say something?" Cena laughed and nodded his head.

"Yeah, where do I drop you off?"

"Oh I go to the college just a few blocks from here."

"I'll have you there in no time maam."

"Thank you." As the driver pulled away from Starbucks, Cena chanced a glance at Allison. She was staring down at the floor apparently lost in thought. "Uh…sir…I just…I appreciate this. Not many people would give a complete stranger a ride home in their new car especially when their clothes are soaking wet."

"Oh, it's no problem. This car…it's just a car. A little rain won't hurt it. So uh…what's your name? You don't have to worry about me seeking you out or anything like that. It's not my style."

"It's…Allison…Allison Brody," she said faintly.

"Allison…pretty name."

"Thanks. What's yours? I promise not to seek you out either even though I'm sure…never mind."

"Uh…" Cena did not think about the situation in all its entirety when he offered to give her a ride. Name…he hadn't planned on giving out his name to anybody. He was here on sick leave and didn't need to be hassled by WWE fans while trying to take a break and relax. "It's…Shawn." A lie…a big one but that was the first name that popped into his head.

"Nice name although you don't really look like a Shawn."

"Oh really now?" he chuckled. "Why you say that?"

"When you say Shawn, I picture a scrawny little man." Cena snorted trying to hold back a laugh. It was then that the Explorer came to a stop in front of a building that looked like a small apartment complex.

"Thanks for the ride Mr…"

"Michaels, but you can call me Shawn. Oh, hey…take this." He reached up front and grabbed a black jacket from the passenger's side. "Put this on and don't worry about trying to get it back to me. You more than likely won't ever see me again so as my last act of chivalry you take this coat of armor. It will protect your head against the rain and repel the cool night air."

Allison couldn't help but to laugh. She looked at Cena and grinned. He just didn't look like the type to be so…romantic. She highly doubted that he knew what he was doing could be taken as a romantic gesture. She put on the coat and noticed that it had all kinds of things embroidered on it. She made a mental note to check it out sometime tomorrow after getting some sleep.

"Thank you so much. I'll…this means a lot."

"Glad I could help. You be safe and don't let those goons get you down."

"I won't. I'm pretty sure you scared them off being as you're so huge and everything."

"Yeah well I may be huge but you can take care of yourself. You just need some encouragement. The ladies I normally hang around with are a force to be reckoned with. Even I won't tread those waters lightly."

"That's hard to imagine," she laughed. "Anyway, I'll be going now. Thanks again for everything and um…well, since I won't be seeing you again then I hope…well…" She leaned over cupping his face and kissed his lips slowly…gently. She hadn't really expected him to respond but he did, his tongue entering her mouth setting her on fire. She pulled away quickly, opening the door and then speeding off towards the complex wrapped in her newest gift. Cena watched her disappear through the rain and then leaned back as his Explorer drove away into the night.

* * *

**AN: Okay. So because fanfiction updates are so gay, I am having to go back and reupload every chapter of every damn fic that I've written on here because of the way I seperated my sections. That's so fcking lame! Anyway, I hope this chapter was exactly the way I had poted it the first time. Sometimes, I make major changes after I upload a doc so I have no idea half of the time whether or not I am going to post what I had originally typed. So new readers, please bare with me. I'll try to have every chapter fixed by the weekend. Gahh!! **


	2. Chapter 2

Allison groaned when she finally glanced over at her clock. It was almost time for her shift at the coffee shop but she was seriously in no mood to serve drinks tonight. It was two weeks since her mysterious Shawn Michaels had saved her from having to spend unnecessary cash on a cab and all because of her stupid ex boyfriend wanted to be a jerk. He was always a jerk, even when they were together but she thought that she could change him somehow. Man was she ever wrong. She scooted off the bed and onto the floor frowning at the thought of work. The frown was only temporary for the reoccurring thought of her mysterious savior kept creeping back into her mind.

She decided he had been cute enough. No, he was drop dead gorgeous and had the biggest arms she'd ever seen. She would have guessed him to have been some sort of football player. But for a football player or jock, he seemed to have his head screwed on tight. At least he was concerned about the safety of women. She laughed out loud as she revisited the night he saved her. He was like a knight in…street clothing. Now that she thought about it, he was dressed very thug-ish and that was very common nowadays for white guys, but somehow he pulled it off just nicely. He had been wearing a white tee and some long, black jean shorts. He had on a matching cap and some black and white Jordan brand sneakers. The clothes seemed to suit him but it was his eyes that were the most appealing she concluded. When she had kissed him, no, when he asked if she was alright, he had looked at her with those piercing blue eyes and if she hadn't been afraid they could have melted her heart. She let out a sigh when she finally found her work clothes and headed for the shower.

--------------------------------

Every night for the past two weeks, Cena had been going to Starbucks for a hot latte and a change of scenery. Being at his home alone seemed to depress him and he was trying his best to stay clear of negative thoughts. His first priority was to rest and get better so that he could get back in the ring as soon as possible but at the rate he was going, it was going to take forever. Being alone didn't help either. At least if he had a companion…no, not a companion because he sure as hell wasn't ready for that but someone…a friend…someone he could just talk with and hang out with. Sure Shawn and Matt said he could come over whenever he needed to but that just wouldn't be right. Shawn was entering into a beautiful thing with Kim and Matt seemed to be a little taken with Brittney. Cena took another sip of his coffee and continued to stare out the window.

Everything about Lithonia Springs seemed to bring back bad memories and the more he stared out the window, the more things he envisioned about his past; thoughts of his parents…his sister…most of it bad.

"Excuse me, would you like a refill on that latte?" Cena jumped at the sound of the voice and stared up at the waitress. He managed a weak smile as she refreshed his drink.

"Thank you miss," he said smiling weakly.

"Uh…you're…you're welcome," she squeaked before hurrying off.

"O…K…I wonder what that was all about?" He shrugged before returning to his thoughts.

---

_OH MY GOD…HE'S HERE!_ Allison hurried to the restroom to dampen her face with some cool water. She could not believe…of all the people to run into tonight…and she was looking a hot mess. She had been working for over four hours now and hadn't even noticed when he walked in. She took the wrap out of her hair and ran her fingers through it so that it now hung shoulder length. It was slightly frizzy from the temperature in the café, not to mention she had been busting her ass for hours. After a minute or two she finally decided that she looked presentable enough then headed back out to bust more tables.

---

Cena finished his latte and decided it was time to get back home. He hated to go back to the empty shell of a home but he couldn't hide forever. He left a ten on the table then stood up from his booth to leave but ran right into a waitress who had been carrying a frappacino on a tray. The drink went flying into the air and onto his white shirt. The frightened waitress just stood there horrified before dropping to her knees to clean up the mess.

"Oh my…I am so, so sorry. I didn't…I swear I didn't…" Cena just chuckled as he picked at his soaked shirt.

"Naw, it's cool. It was quite the wake up call," he laughed. "That's what I get for not looking over my shoulder. You need some help with that?" he offered.

"No…no I got it." She stood up wincing when she finally got a clear view of his shirt. "Oh man. Your shirt is going to get ruined!"

"Hey…don't worry about it." He reached out and touched her shoulder. She shuddered looking up at him when she noticed he was frowning.

"Please don't…kill me," she whispered. She looked around and noticed that everyone was staring at them. Cena looked around too having noticed the sudden silence.

"Really it's ok…Allison." Her eyes went wide with surprise.

"So you…so you remember me?" she squeaked softly.

"How could I forget?" he laughed. Her face turned a deep shade of red but she managed to stay cool.

"I uh…I have to go…clock out…" she stared but he cut her off.

"Hey that's cool. I'll wait up…if that's alright."

"Uh…sure." Cena watched as she ran off towards the back then he headed outside to wait for her. _People sure do love to stare_.

---

---

Minutes later she emerged from behind the glass doors and was standing outside the coffee shop looking extremely puzzled. She was wearing the jacket he had given her and it only made him smile.

"Hey! Over here!" She jumped at his voice but smiled as she ran towards him. He was standing beside the familiar Explorer and was wearing a very calm expression. This seemed odd to her being that he had just been dumped in coffee.

"Shawn, I am so sorry I kept you waiting and I can't apologize enough about that drink. Oh man, that's going to leave an ugly stain. You should go home and wash it immediately otherwise your shirt will be ruined!"

"Naw it's cool and anyway I uh…can't wash," he mumbled. Allison stared at him raising an eyebrow but reading her expression he laughed and continued to explain. "Well I have a washer and dryer at my place that I've never used before so I don't know how to work it. I'm on the road all the time so my clothes are usually brand spanking new and dry-cleaned."

"Oh wow. Well…"

"I have an idea. How about you come back to my place and show me how to work the washer? Your debt will hereby be repayed."

"Well…I…I guess I could since I haven't anything better to do but are you sure? It's kinda late and I don't want to intrude."

"Nope. Not a problem at all. My house is nothing but spooksville. I live alone. Sad huh?"

"Kinda. A good Samaritan like you should never be alone," she laughed getting into the vehicle. He climbed in back with her signaling for the driver to take them back to his place.

---

---

They arrived at his place in little or no time and Allison was amazed. His condo was huge. The inside was even better. It wasn't like anything she would have guessed though. The whole ride to his place she was trying to picture the exact type of home to fit his style and once again she was pleasantly surprised. If she didn't know any better she'd say that he had a real sensitive side as she stared at the pale pink carpet. He had turned on a small lamp that seemingly enough illuminated the front room very nicely. She could even see his kitchen and it was fabulous.

"Right this way is the washer and dryer." He motioned for her to follow him through the kitchen and down a small hall. The first door on the right was the very spacious laundry room that looked as though it had never known the meaning of human contact. "Yeah, I uh…I told ya. I never use the damn things," he laughed. She grinned as she started going through cabinets looking for washing powder and other things needed for washing. When she managed to locate everything she turned to stare at Cena who seemed to be lost in space.

"Hey pretty boy? Hello? I need your shirt."

"Oh, right." He wriggled out of his jacket easily enough but trying to get out of his shirt was something. He struggled with it for a few seconds as Allison watched on trying hard to suppress laughter.

"Let me help you. It's the least I could do for ruining your evening." She walked over and began pulling the shirt over his head. Her cool hands brushed his sides and he let out a low whistle.

"Woman your hands are cold!"

"Sorry. Sheesh. Hold still!" She grabbed his arm with the cast on it and slowly pulled his arm through a sleeve. Afterwards, he managed to get his other arm out on his own. "Good job," she laughed. "Now come come. Let me show you how this is done." He walked over and she began pointing things out to him on the washer.

"Ok. So you want to do permanent press for most things but your sweaters and things you'll put on delicates or wools. Got it?"

"Uh…yeah, I got it," he laughed scratching his head.

"Oh boy. Alright well as for the dryer, it's pretty self explanatory. See?" She pointed a dial that said 'timed dry' and then showed him how to set the timer.

"Ok. Now _that_ I can deal with. Thank you sweets." He smiled down at her and for the first time all night, he noticed that the color of her eyes reminded him of honey. Her shoulder length hair which was an almond color—he was never really good with colors—never the less he noticed her beauty. It was more of a natural beauty he deduced. She was wearing little or no make up but her skin looked light and fresh. For a moment there she blushed and he looked away. _She must have felt me staring._

"So my driver's gonna give you a ride back, but I think I'll tag along. You saved my shirt so it's my job as a true soldier to make sure you get back safely." She laughed at his cheesiness but thanked him, grateful that anyone would even bother to do such a thing. It wasn't everyday that a nice, classy guy treated you with respect and like a woman, a real woman. He emerged from the back after having put on another shirt and then the headed back to the Explorer.

----------------------------

They both were very quiet the first few minutes of the ride but Cena decided to break the silence. He hated awkward silences and even though he was partly to blame for her silence, he still hated being quite for so long. He wasn't used to it anyway.

"So Allison, do I scare you?" It was an honest question that had been nagging him for sometime now. When she first spilled that drink on him, he noticed that she had flinched and he didn't like it.

"Huh? Um…no…not really," she replied. He turned to her grasping her hand causing her to blush once more.

"I really need to know. I mean, this is the second time I've run into you and I get the feeling it may not be the last like we both had hoped."

"I guess…since you seem to like coffee," she mumbled sadly.

"Hey, what's wrong? Did I say something wrong? I was only…I don't want you to fear me. I am about as harmless as they come. Trust me." She looked up at him and nodded quickly before turning her attention back to the window. Cena leaned back in is seat and stared up at the ceiling. _God, I didn't mean to hurt her_.

"I'm sorry Shawn. I…flinched…but it wasn't because of you…well it was but not how you think," she said a moment later. He sat up straight and stared at her with concern.

"It's ok. Forgive me for prying."

"It's ok," she grinned. What a pretty smile. Cena shook his head letting a chuckle escape his lips.

"You know, I am getting a freaky sort of déjà vu vibe."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Two weeks ago…The car soon came to a stop and once again there was the awkwardness. This time Allison broke the silence.

"Thank you so much for the ride home Shawn. It was great seeing you again too. You uh…make sure you dry that shirt tonight or else it will sour in that washer over night."

"I will. Thank you for trusting me enough to let your guard down and visit. You've been a big help this evening in more ways than you'll ever know."

"Good-night Shawn. See you around." She reached for the door but he tapped her on the shoulder.

"Yes?"

"Déjà vu won't be complete without this." He lifted her chin then leaned forward and kissed her lips. A small gasp escaped her lips, the opening his tongue was looking for as it entered her mouth tasting her. She responded, placing a cool hand on his cheek as he deepened the kiss. He pulled away a second later, a smile forming on his lips.

"Good-night Allison." She whispered a feeble good night, rushing from the car to the sanctuary of her dorm room dreading the days to come.

* * *

AN: Okay. There's an update...finally. Hope you enjoyed it cause I have no earthly idea when I'll get to update this one again. I actually love writing this one though but alas I have to work on my Naruto one. Ok. So review...flame...whatever. Love you guys. It's three in the morning...I am freezing cuz someone keeps messing with the &&(&&(#$ air. Bleh. I'm going to bed. 


	3. Chapter 3

Every night for the next three weeks, Cena went to the same Starbucks café in order to think. He had not seen Allison working there since that last night he had kissed her and was starting to miss her even though he hadn't known her for very long. Cena sighed as he sipped his latte and read the new WWE magazine. As he flipped through the pages, he was in another zone. He was so far gone that he had not seen Allison when she came into the shop and sat down at the booth in front of him. It was when one of the other waitresses had called out her name that his head snapped up and he saw her. Her back was to him but he could tell it was her. He grinned as he stood up and went over to her booth, taking a seat across from her.

"Allison?" She jumped at the sound of his voice and her face turned bright red before she looked down at her hot cocoa.

"Hi," she mumbled. Cena frowned for a moment thinking maybe he had caught her on a bad day.

"I'm…I'm sorry Allison. I just…I've missed seeing you here the last three weeks or so and I just wanted to say hello but if I am intruding…"

"No, no, no, it's nothing…" She held her head up slowly and turned away just as quickly but not quick enough. It only took Cena a second to realize what was wrong. She had a big bruise under her right eye as though she had been hit. She also had a small cut under her left eye which she seemed to have tried covering up using some make up. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to hide it well. Cena could feel his hands getting clammy from frustration. He hated and I mean HATED seeing women bruised up. In fact, he hated having to get in the same ring with women and often exercised extra care when pushed to do inter-gender tag matches.

"Oh, no. Allison let me your face."

"No, I…" Cena reached over the table and grabbed Allison's chin, turning her face around. She looked a mess.

"Oh, God." She just stared at him looking like a frightened child. The longer he stared at her, the redder her face became as if she were embarrassed. "Get up. Come with me. I don't want anyone to see you like this."

"No, Shawn…" He got up from the table and then took her by the hand, leading her towards the exit. When they got outside the coffee shop, Cena steered her towards his Explorer and made her get inside. Then he whispered something to the driver before they took off down the road. There was a brief moment of sustained silence but Cena wasn't having that. He needed to know what happened to Allison otherwise he'd never be able to forgive himself.

"Allison, I'm not trying to get into your business or anything because I'm a very private person and I wouldn't want people all up in my business, but I want to know what happened to you."

"It's…nothing," she whispered, staring out the window.

"Allison please…as your friend…" She looked at him curiously before turning her attention back to the window. Cena sighed as he leaned back in his seat. _So I guess she's not going to talk. She must be scared to death._ Cena reached into his coat pocket which was draped over the back of the passenger's seat and pulled out a small index card and a pen. With luck, he managed to scribble his cell number on it before tossing the pen aside.

"Here. Take this." He handed her the card and she stared at it completely dumbfounded.

"What's this?" she whispered.

"It's my cell number. I want you to call me whenever you feel like talking about it. I don't care what time it is or what day it is."

"But…why would you…?"

"Because I'm your friend. Believe it or not, the day you saved my shirt put you on my friend's list for life. You're a sweet gal and even if your other friends treated you like a dog, at least you'll have one friend that gives a damn."

"I…well…thank you," she whispered. She still did not look up at him and that had Cena worried.

"You know, you can look me in the eye. I give you my word that I won't bite," he chuckled in a vain attempt to lighten the mood, but still she would not look up_. Her self-esteem seems to have been crushed…and after all that pep talking I went through the last time. _Taking a chance, Cena reached over and started playing with strands of her hair, lightly brushing the side of her face. "You are such a beautiful girl. I don't know why someone would even dream of hurting you," he said softly. It was at that moment she burst into tears. Cena threw his free arm around her and she just sobbed even harder into his shoulder. He ran his fingers through her hair and down her arm as she sobbed.

"Hey, it's alright. I'm here. I'm here for you. Let it all out," he whispered. She went on crying like that for several minutes never noticing how the driver kept circling the same block around her school. Cena had told him to do so until he got a little something out of Allison.

Cena had no idea how long they had been circling that block. It was when the alarm on his phone vibrated that he realized that he and Allison both had fallen asleep. He signaled his driver to stop in front of her dorm but then realized that it was probably best to just take her back to his place. He didn't want to wake her and even though his driver was fully capable of carrying her to her room, if someone saw them then it would have look odd. Plus, he had no idea who had hurt her and he sure as hell wasn't going to take the risk of making her stay all alone tonight. She needed him tonight as a friend and he was going to take care of her the way a real friend should.

It wasn't long before he was in front of his condo watching his driver carry Allison in his arms and into the house. He instructed his driver to carry her into his bedroom and lay her on the bed. After he bid his driver a good evening, he quietly undressed until he was wearing nothing but some shorts and a tee then he quietly climbed onto the bed next to her. She shifted in her sleep, turning to her side and throwing an arm around him causing him to stiffen. _Oh man…_He chuckled as he attempted to make himself comfortable, sliding his free arm underneath her head to cushion it and it wasn't long before he too was fast asleep.

---

Allison's alarm on her cell phone went off at six the next morning. She groaned as she reached over at her bedside table reaching furiously for the phone but with no such luck. In fact, she couldn't seem to find the table. She sat up quickly, eyes trying desperately to adjust only to find that she wasn't in her room. She looked around trying to figure out what was going on but a loud snore made her jump and remember events from the night before. She was in Shawn's condo…and he was sound asleep next to her_. I must have fallen asleep during our drive around town…_She smiled down at him taking in his gorgeous body. Even though he was wearing a tee, it was tight and clingy, outlining his rock hard abs that were nice and lean. She watched him sleep a few moments more before easing off the bed and up the hall into his living room. She had to get home quick otherwise she was going to be in more trouble than she wanted to be in. She took the cell out of her sweater pocket and dialed a cab before easing out of his condo quietly.

---

Cena awoke about three hours later, the sunlight creeping through his blinds and into his face. _Damn…I have got to remember to close the curtains._ He stifled a yawn and then rolled out of bed slowly and incoherently making his way towards his bathroom when he stopped suddenly. I could have sworn…He turned around quickly and noticed that Allison was gone.

"Damn," he mumbled. He had temporarily forgotten that Allison spent the night but then again, there was no way of knowing whether or not she actually stayed the whole night. He hated that she was gone for he was still curious as to why she had bruises on her face. He had planned to question her about it this morning in hopes that a good night's rest would have loosened her up a little. _I have to go look for her._ With that thought he headed towards the bathroom to shower and dress.

---

---

Allison was really quiet as she crept into her father's house. She closed the door to the kitchen quietly and hung her sweater on the coat rack before heading up the stairs. She didn't get half-way up the stairs before the lights to the kitchen were flipped on and she knew then that she had been caught dead. Oh no…

"Allison? Where have you been?" her father asked. She turned to face him and as usual he was wearing his so-called 'angry face'.

"I…well…I went to get coffee and then I stayed the night with a friend," she stammered.

"Did you get my permission to stay with a friend?"

"N…no but I…"

"Who is the one helping pay your tuition? What is your mother doing for you? Do you want me to take you out of school? I could use you here during the day helping your step mother cook and clean the house."

"No. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"Yeah, you're right. It won't." He walked over to her and slapped her across the face. She bit her lip to keep from crying out before running up the stairs. "GO TO YOUR ROOM AND STAY THERE! DON'T YOU BRING YOUR ASS OUT OF THERE UNTIL I SAY SO!"

She ran up the rest of the stairs into her room, slammed the door, and then slid to the floor sobbing.

_I hate my life! Why do I have to suffer so?_ Allison took out her cell phone and ciphered through her contacts which were few in number. _Jared…Martin…Mom…Shawn…_

"Shawn," she whispered. _Should I call him up? Would he answer? _She spent a minute debating whether or not to call. It was either Shawn or no one. She couldn't possibly tell her mother or brother what was going on. Her mother was just getting a good job and she didn't need grief about her college tuition issues. Then there was the fact that her father didn't beat her often so was it really worth making a big deal over? She got up off the floor and stood in front of her mirror. Her face was slightly swollen and the bruise under her eye was no longer standing out. _I'll be ok._ She climbed onto her bed and took out a book to read. It wouldn't be long before she had to go and start cleaning the house before her step mother got home.

---

---

Cena emerged from his humongous restroom about an hour later dressed and ready to go. He called up his driver and told him to get the Explorer ready. He was going to ride around until he found Allison. Besides the fact that he wanted to know what was up, he liked having her around. He couldn't explain it but he just did. He grabbed his keys and opened the door but did not go on out. Instead he just stood there shocked.

"Hi John."

"Carmella?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you going to just stand there and stare at me all day?" Carmella asked stifling a laugh.

"Uh…no. I um…come on in and have a seat. Wow. You're like the last person I expected to run into." He closed the front door and followed her into his living room and onto the couch. There was a brief awkward moment of silence before Cena spoke up. "So um…how did you…?"

"Well, as you know, when I first tried out for the diva search, I had no interest in wrestling whatsoever but then after I got deep into the competition I started to appreciate it more. Anyway, I saw last month where you had sustained an injury from that pompous windbag Mr. Kennedy. The headline said you were possibly going to be out for a year and so I figured if you were going to be out that long then you were probably in town."

"Wow. Well, you're right. I'm here hiding out trying to get better and all. This being away from the ring is not easy for me. I love being on the road…traveling…meeting new people. Being back here is no picnic."

"I figured you were probably miserable so I decided to drop by and see how things were going for you."

"Oh well I'm glad you did."

"I also…have…missed you," she said softly looking away. Cena just stared at her dumbfounded. He had no idea really how to respond to that. After all, she was the one who dumped him long ago. He had loved her with all his heart yet she ripped it out claiming that she wasn't ready for a big commitment. Even now, he couldn't be too angry with her. She was still very beautiful. Her long dark hair and her beautiful almond eyes were enough to make any man stop and stare. She was tall, almost six feet and had put it to good use when they were in high school. She played on the basketball team and was a damn good point guard plus leading scorer most games. "I'm…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. Anyway, I think I should be off now. I just…I needed to see you myself so I would know that you were really ok." She stood to her feet and headed towards the door but Cena jumped up and stopped her.

"Hey. Wait a second. Do you want to…go get a drink? I have been craving Starbucks and I think it would be a good way to kind of break the ice."

"That would be great but imma have to take a rain check. I promised my aunt that would go pick up some things for her at the grocery store. How about I give you a call later in the week and maybe we can spend the day together catching up?"

"Uh…yeah. That would be great. So I'll see you around then?"

"Definitely," she said with a smile before heading out the door. Cena let out a huge breath as he plopped back down onto the couch. _Carmella_. The absolute last person he was expecting to run into…She was still as beautiful as ever but that was to be expected of an old girlfriend…and lover and what timing she had. He had just been getting used to being all alone each day with no one to talk to but then just like that things had changed. He was pretty certain that he would be seeing a lot of Carmella and just when he was getting used to the whole idea of being alone, completely and totally…_Allison_.

Now that he thought about it, he hadn't really been alone since his return home. The very first night back in Lithonia Springs, he ran into a lovely young lady named Allison and somehow by sheer coincidence he had been seeing quite a bit of her…but the last week or so had been different in which case he did not see her at all. She had been keeping to herself and with good reason. _The bruises…_Cena closed his eyes and groaned. It was really bothering him about Allison. What in the world could she be hiding from him? Technically it wasn't really any of his business. They didn't know each other like that. In fact, if he was to be completely honest with himself, they really didn't know each other at all. Hell, she didn't even know what his real name was and the more he dwelled on it, the guiltier he felt. In the few meetings the two had, she had divulged more about herself than he probably needed to know and it was completely one sided on his part. Cena sighed. He wished he knew how to get in contact with her. The only way he knew of getting to her was to go by her school but there was just no way he could do it without someone recognizing who he really was. One wrestling fan could ruin it for him and he didn't need that. He wanted to be the one to come clean about his real name, but…_Why is this bothering me so?_ It wasn't as if he was seeing Allison. In fact, he wasn't completely sure that he wanted to see Carmella again either. She had ripped his heart to shreds once before and he just wasn't ready to open his heart again. Even so, he couldn't shake the sad image of Allison out of his mind.

"I need to go for a drive," he grumbled. He got up off the couch, grabbed his keys, and once again headed for the door.

------------------

Allison finished all of her housework just in time. As soon as she finally climbed the last stair, the kitchen door flew open and she listened as her stepmother clamped across the floor, her heels clicking as she made her way towards the living room in search of her father.

"Those two were made for each other," Allison grumbled, shutting the door to her room. She climbed on her bed and took out a book to read. Just as she was starting to get comfortable her cell phone rang. _Damn. Who could this be?_ The caller ID said it was her mother. _I don't feel like talking ma…_She immediately hit the ignore button and went back to her reading.

An hour later, Allison's room door was flung open and she jumped at the sight. Her father was just standing there glaring at her.

"Um…did you need something father?" she asked calmly.

"Why didn't you finish doing the laundry?" he asked. _Oh shit…I must have fell asleep_.

"Oh…I…I took a nap and I forgot but I can go and finish them now if you want," she stammered but it wasn't good enough. Her father stomped across the room and grabbing her by the arm snatched her off of the bed and onto the floor.

"I am fucking sick of having to remind you to what you're supposed to do. If you wasn't out being a whore each and every night then you wouldn't have this problem."

Allison stayed on the floor cowering in fear as her father approached her. He grabbed her arm again standing her up before slapping her hard across the face. Allison let out a small whimper before her father stormed out of the room. When the footsteps got lighter signifying that he was out of range, she dropped to her knees and began to cry. He was drunk which meant her stepmother was probably out and about being a whore somewhere. She didn't understand why her father just wouldn't leave the woman but then again, she was still young and adult matters like this were always hard to understand. She crawled across the room and grabbed her cell phone. There was just no way she could stay in this house tonight. If so, she was going to be slapped around worse than that later if her stepmother decided not to come home. She ciphered through the phone until she came across Shawn's number. _Well here goes…_

_-------------------- _

Cena was sitting in his Explorer when his cell rang. It was a number that he didn't recognize. He was half of mind to hit the ignore button but he figured he would just probably regret it later.

"Hello?"

"Shawn?"

"Allison?"

"Uh, yeah. I um…I'm sorry if I bothered you. I'll just…I didn't want…" _She sounds so sad._

"No, no…it's cool. What's up baby girl?"

"I…I just needed to hear a friendly voice that's all," she replied. Cena could tell that something was bothering her. Allison's voice was shaky and she sounded as if she were crying or had been crying earlier. Either way Cena wanted to know what was up.

"Hey. It's cool. I told you to call me whenever you needed something or just to say hey."

"Thanks." There was a long pause before she spoke up again. "I…Shawn I…"

"It's ok," he replied, his voice softening. "I tell you what. How about I come see you? We can go get a cup of coffee or something."

"I…well…"

"Please? I'm worried about you. Just…let me see you so that I can see for myself that you're ok."

"I…I guess…I'm going to be at the park. I'm not in the mood for coffee right now."

"That's cool. I'll see you in a few alright?"

"Ok. And Shawn?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you," she whispered before hanging up. Cena closed his cell and just sat there silent for a moment. He didn't know why but he felt a combination of excitement and relief building up inside of him.

"Hey Don? Take me to the park. I'm meeting a friend there."

"Yes sir." Then they were on their way. Cena just hoped that no one would be there to recognize him. Even though it was late in the afternoon, you never knew who would be lurking about but if he were found out and recognized, he knew that in the end it would be just a small price to pay in order to reassure someone that they had a friend—a good friend who cared more than either of them knew.

* * *

AN: A huge delay...I know and I'm sorry. I've just been busy...doing papers...studying for finals...starting new stories for impatient friends...yeah you know how that goes. I hope you enjoy the update. I seriously have to do some work on my Bishoff one but it will be after monday night's 3 HOURS SPECIAL! And HBK better be voted greatest superstar or imma be pissed! -ahem- And I am so friggen excited about seeing Mr. Bishoff. You have no idea. That guy cracks me up. Don't know how I feel about this Evolution reunion. Too...much...hotness...LOL Anyway, just so you know, I get out for my Christmas break friday which means it may be three weeks befor eyour next update. But i'll do my best to squeeze one more in. I'm making no promises though. Love you guys now go review! 


	5. Chapter 5

Cena sat in his Explorer and waited until he saw the familiar almond-haired girl walking his way. She sat down on a bench near a park fountain and stared down at the ground. Cena smiled to himself, extremely happy that he had parked right in front of the bench. He got out of the Explorer and she smiled.

"Shawn!" She ran over to him and threw her arms around him being careful not to hurt his shoulder.

"Hey baby girl. It's good to see you again." He led her back over to the bench and they sat down, watching the beautiful marble fountain spew water in silence. Several seconds passed before Cena finally broke the silence. "Hey…tell me what's bothering you. You sounded so upset over the phone."

"It's…nothing. I've just been having a bad day that's all." She looked down at the ground and let out a sigh.

"Allison…I'm not…I know it seems like I'm trying to get all up in your business but I'm not. I just care and I'm trying to get you to trust me. I know I may not look like the most trustworthy of people but have I ever given you a reason to doubt me before?"

"No," she mumbled. Cena let out a sigh. She was not going to bulge so he needed to take the initiative. He reached over and grabbed her chin, making her look him in the eye. He was almost sorry that he'd done it. The first thing he noticed was the black eye and the cut under her right eye.

"What…happened to you?" he asked softly. She pulled away from him and started to sniffle.

"No…nothing. I just…"

"You just tripped and fell, cutting your eye in the process right?"

"Something like that."

"Yeah so how do you explain the black eye?"

"I…"

"Allison, who's hurting you? Tell me who's hurting you and I will go take care of it. If it's those little shitheads from a few weeks ago then…"

"NO! No…you can't help…it's not them. Don't worry about it."

"If you don't put an end to it now then it will only get worse. Trust me. I know because I used to watch my mother get beat. I was young and weak back then but now…I won't stand for it."

"I…I shouldn't have called you."

"Wait…what? Why not?"

"I don't need a lecture right now alright! I need a friend."

"And that's what I'm trying to do—be a friend, but you won't let me."

"I can't…Shawn, I'd rather you not get involved. It's…It's complicated."

"Is your mother…?"

"No…she doesn't live with us."

"Us being…?"

"My father and stepmother," she mumbled.

"I see," he replied softly. For the longest time Cena sat there in silence listening to Allison cry. He put his arm around her for comfort and it wasn't long before she was fast asleep. _I don't think she's sleeping at home. _His driver Don had sat in the vehicle watching them all day. Cena motioned for Don to come and scoop Allison up and put her in the car. She opened her eyes but only for a moment as she was being placed in the back of the Explorer. When she was settled in the back comfortably, Cena got in front and Don drove them back to his place.

-----------------------

When Allison finally awakened, she realized that she was not at home. _Oh God…where am I? _She looked around the dimly lit bedroom and frowned. _Where have I…?_

"I see you're finally awake. Not getting much sleep at your place huh? I wonder why?" he asked sarcastically. She looked up to see Cena standing at the foot of the bed. He was wearing some red silk boxers and a white tee. He looked so damn delicious, but Allison shook the thought just as quickly. She had to get home before it got too late.

"Um…what…what time is it?" she asked weakly.

"It's almost 11:30."

"PM?"

"Yeah!" he chuckled.

"Oh…oh shit. I…I gotta get home," she stammered, rolling off of his bed. She hurried towards the door but he held her back, grabbing her by the arm.

"Hey…what's really going on? It's so…I know you probably need to get home and all but don't you think that you'd sleep so much better if you just stay here? Don't get me wrong, I have no problem seeing you home but…I was watching you sleep earlier and you just seemed so exhausted."

"I…I know but it's nothing I can't handle…I mean, I'm sorry but if I don't get home…"

"You'll be in trouble right?" She stood there silent for a moment lost in thought. She really needed to get home but at the same time, she really didn't want to go. Earlier that afternoon, she had snuck out of the house while her father was passed out on the couch just to go to the park. She had grown tired of being trapped in her bedroom…and she was tired of being afraid but what choice did she have? If she went back, there was that small chance her father would still be asleep on the couch but if not, there was just no way she'd ever live it down after staying out all night. Was it really worth the risk, especially since she still had no idea who Shawn Michaels really was? Right now, all she knew about him was that he was a really nice guy who lived alone in a big condo. Family? Friends? Job? Not a clue. "Allison?"

"Huh? Sorry…I was just…"

"Naa it's cool. So are we going or staying?" She looked up at him and saw the sincerity in his eyes. It was just too hard to say no.

"I…I'll stay…"

"I was hoping you would. The house is kind of cold and dead without a warm woman lurking about," he said grinning. She managed a weak smile as she stared at the floor.

"Um…so…I don't really want to sleep in my jeans," she managed.

"Oh yeah. Well…I have a ton of things you can sleep in but I'm pretty sure most of my shorts are too big to fit around that pretty little waist. So um…would just a tee shirt work for you? I promise not to…"

"Yeah a tee shirt will be fine. Uh…I'm going to go wash up…if that's ok."

"Sure thing. There's some lady stuff in the bathroom. I sent Don to the store earlier just in case. Knock yourself out. I'll leave you something on the bed and I'll wait for you out front." She nodded her head and walked off. Cena looked in his closet and pulled out a Falcon's jersey. He didn't have a whole lot of clothing in the house since he'd never really lived in it so a jersey would have to do. He laid it out on the bed and headed up the hall towards the kitchen. Soon as he did, the phone rang which was just the distraction he needed to keep from thinking about Allison.

"Yo?" he answered.

"Cena. It's Shawn."

"Shawn! Hey what's up man?" he said, lowering his voice.

"Oh nothing much. Just thought I'd give my former partner a call to see how he is doing."

"Well…I'm making it. It's frustrating as hell not being able to get in the ring, but I think I'm finally getting used to not being on the road so much. This place…it sure is full of surprises. If it wasn't for surprises then I would have lost my mind a long time ago bro."

"Surprises huh? Like what?"

"Well for starters, an ex girlfriend is in town looking as beautiful as ever. You might remember seeing her occasionally two years ago."

"Hmmm…I don't…"

"Carmella. She was in the diva search contest about two years ago."

"Oh, ok. Her. Yeah…she was a looker alright. I really thought she was gonna win too but that just goes to show you how unpredictable our wrestling fans can be. So what's her deal? Why's she in town?"

"Said something about wanting to check up on me. She's a big wrestling fan now. She heard about my injury on the show so she popped in a few days ago to see me."

"Is that all she wanted?"

"I guess…I mean I offered to take her out for a coffee but she was busy that day. I haven't seen or heard from her since. But then that's probably my fault. My mind has been on other things."

"Wrestling?"

"No…not exactly. You see I met this girl…a college student named Allison."

"Uh huh…"

"I kind of rescued her from an abusive ex boyfriend only to later find out that she's also being abused at home."

"Yikes! No wonder you've been distracted. Did she tell you all of this?"

"No…it's just guess work but I know I'm right. She called me earlier today to come keep her company and when I found her, she had a cut under her right eye and it was black. She won't admit it but I think it's cuz she's afraid. I want to help her Shawn but she won't let me in," he huffed sounding frustrated. He pounded the counter with his fist and let out a sigh.

"Trust issues."

"Whadaya mean?" he asked impatiently.

"I mean her trust meter has been shattered to bits. If she won't tell you anything even though you presume to already know, then it means someone has hurt her so bad in her past that she's afraid to ever trust again. Sound familiar?" he inquired.

"Alright. So what next? How do I get her to trust me?" Shawn just chuckled.

"I've never seen you so…persistent to help someone. I know about your past and all but is there more to this than you're telling me?"

"No…what makes you think that?"

"Well…you know how things started with me and Kim. Look at us now—just months away from getting married…I hope."

"You_hope_?" he asked curiously.

"Rhi."

"Say no more. Listen Shawn, there's something you should know. I…kinda told her a fib. Not a big one…well, ok. So maybe it's a big one but you have to understand it was completely…I assumed that we'd never see each other again."

"Assumptions got me in the mess that I'm in now. So…what did you…?"

"She thinks my name is Shawn."

"Oh…well…"

"She thinks my name is Shawn Michaels." There was a long pause before Shawn burst out laughing. "Shawn? Hey man…I'm being serious here."

"Oh man. You are in…wow. So…she thinks you're…me?"

"Yeah."

"And…I'm supposed to be you?"

"Yeah…well no…fuck I don't know. She…doesn't know that I wrestle and all. All she knows is that I'm an injured man with a driver named Don who lives in a dead condo in the suburbs."

"So much for building up trust. Not trying to be a party pooper, but um…what's going to happen when she finds out your name isn't Shawn?"

"I…don't know but hopefully she'll find out from me rather than someone else. I'd just…it was hard enough convincing her to stay the night with me…"

"Wait. Whoa. She's staying…the _night_?"

"Yeah…you see I don't want her like that man, it's…she probably hasn't slept in days and I don't want to see her all bruised up again. She's too cute for that."

"Cute?"

"Well…you know…"

"Say no more. You like the girl…"

"I don't…"

"That's what I told myself about Kim. Anyway, I hope things get better. Keep me posted about this situation. This is…too good," he laughed. "My quick advice?"

"Sure."

"Be her friend and protector tonight. Be her hero the next time. Be her lover the next...if she lets you. Somewhere in that chain of events a confession and apology is needed, although I wouldn't recommend indulging the truth in the heat of passion."

"Yeah, yeah…hey…_Lover_? Wait Shawn…"

"Just kidding…or am I? Talk to you later bro. My beloved is calling me."

"Aight." He hung up the phone and headed back to the living room. Allison was not there. _I guess she's still showering_. He made his way back down the hall only to find her standing in the bedroom, staring at the wrestling posters on his wall. _Thank God none of them are of Shawn and me._ He quietly entered the room and eased up behind her. He was now standing close enough to smell the fruity shampoo in her hair.

"Allison?" he whispered. She jumped turning around to face him with a scared look upon her face. It wasn't quite the reaction that he was going for or expected. "Hey…it's just me," he said frowning.

"I…I'm sorry. Just…a bit jumpy."

"I noticed." Now that they were inches apart Cena couldn't help but to pay close attention to her. She didn't finish drying her hair after showering so it was still wet and wavy, very sexy in his opinion. The jersey that he gave her to wear came down just inches from her knees; the glimpse of her creamy thighs just enough to tease a man. He could tell that she wasn't wearing a bra because her nipples were perky through the sheer fabric of the jersey. She folded her arms across her chest and turned away from him, staring back at the posters.

"You're…a big wrestling fan huh?" she asked softly.

"Yeah…I got a lot of friends who wrestle."

"I…never really had a chance to get into it. My brother is a big wrestling fan though. All he talks about is The Undertaker or John Cena," she said with a smile. _Oh…no…_

"Really now?" he asked, trying to mask the nervousness in his voice. _Keep cool Cena…_

"Yeah. He tried to get me to watch once or twice but I was always so busy with other things that I never got the time to sit and watch."

"Well you're not missing much right now," he said grinning. "Besides, if you're gonna get into wrestling, you have to go to a live event."

"Me? A live show? I haven't the time or the money."

"Well…you never know. You may get a chance to go someday and if you're lucky enough, you just may go to the big one, Wrestlemania."

"Maybe," she replied sadly. She turned around and was about to head towards the bed but she bumped into him. "I'm…I'm so sorry," she stammered. He cupped her face, not caring about the broken shoulder, and lifted her head.

"Hey…I am really worried about you. You don't have to apologize to me so much. So you bumped into me? It's no big deal. Besides, I'm a big guy. Your little bump didn't phase me…well…not in a bad way anyway." He combed his fingers through her wavy hair and smiled. "I need you to trust me Allison. I'd never hurt you." She nodded stiffly before he pulled away.

"So…I'll let you get to bed now. You're tired and I want you to get a good night's rest aight? I'll be in the guest bedroom if you need me."

"Shawn? Wait…don't…go. I…don't like being…alone," she said softly. Her face turned red, probably out of embarrassment but Cena didn't care. As long as she was happy and comfortable, he was willing to do whatever it took to keep her that way.

"Alright. Would you rather I slept in here on the floor? I ain't got no problem crashing on this poodle hair for carpet," he grinned.

"Uh…well…you…don't have to. I know you wouldn't…but if you…" He crossed the room, dimming the lights and climbed into bed, motioning for her to join him. She crawled in bed on the opposite side next to him and lay there stiffly. They both laid there in silence for at least ten minutes before Cena called her name.

"Alli?"

"Hmmm?"

"You're not comfortable," he whispered.

"I'm…ok…"

"Come here," he whispered. She rolled over placing an arm across his torso. Then he lifted his arm so that she could rest her head on it like a pillow. "Better?"

"Much," she whispered. He kissed her forehead and minutes later he could feel her warm breath on his side as she rested peacefully next to him. _A guy could get used to this…_He laid there in bed staring at the ceiling. He couldn't sleep because he had a lot on his mind, most of it concerning Allison and the advice from his partner. Allison was a beautiful and sweet girl and he was sure that he cared for her, but what exactly was the feeling? True he could easily see himself making love to her after tonight but he was no where near being in love with her…was he? No. He was certain of it. Right now, all he wanted to do was be her friend and protector and right now he seemed to be doing a damn good job of it. Now if only he could get her to confess…but then it hit him. Maybe he could follow her home the next day. He needed to see if his theory was correct and if it was, he needed to schedule a time to pay her folks a visit. As long as he was around, Allison was not going to be hurt ever again.

Allison awoke about three hours later after having a bad dream. She opened her eyes and stared into the dimly lit room with tears in her eyes. It wasn't even a second later before she felt Cena shift beside her turning on his side facing her.

"Hey. Are you alright?" he whispered.

"Yeah…bad dream. Sorry to have wakened you."

"Naa, it's cool. I wasn't sleeping anyway."

"Why not? Can't sleep?"

"No…just got distracted watching you." She sat up and propped her head on her fist, staring back at him.

"Watching me? I don't think I'm all that interesting."

"But you are…baby girl."

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead lightly. She stared up at him wondrously and he was put into a trance. Before he knew it, he was leaning forward brushing his lips against hers, teasing them lightly until they parted allowing his tongue sanctuary. Her lips slowly started to respond and he deepened the kiss, getting lost with her. He had the strongest urge to run his hand down her tummy and in between her thighs but then he was snatched back to reality. He couldn't—not now anyway for his left arm and shoulder were still in that damn cast. He tore his lips away from hers and cursed under his breath. He was so pissed off in more ways than one. For starters, he had no business kissing her when she was in so much pain and so vulnerable. Then he was even more pissed off because had his arm not been in that damn cast, he would have shown her just how much attention he could pay to her. That was for damn sure.

"Allison...baby girl I am so sorry. I didn't…I wasn't trying to take advantage of you."

"No…it's ok. It…happens…has happened more than once if I'm not mistaken," she replied thoughtfully.

"Yeah, guess you're right. Uh…Alli, I think I'm gonna go sleep in the guest bed. It's nothing personal. I just…"

"I understand…yeah…probably for the best," she whispered. He kissed her one last time on the forehead before rolling out of bed and down the hall to his guest room. Once inside, he closed the door and sat on the end of the bed, staring at the floor. The words of his former partner ringing in his ear…

_Be her friend and protector tonight. Be her hero the next time. Be her lover the next..._

"Some friend I am…" he grumbled. Earlier that night, the idea of being Allison's lover was just laughable but the more he was with her the more he was being pulled towards her like a magnet…and he wished it would go away. He liked Allison a lot but right now he needed to focus on getting better so that he could get back in the ring. That was easier said than done though. He was still determined to help her no matter what the cost because it was Allison's time…her time was now.


	6. Chapter 6

When Cena awoke the next morning he found that Allison was already gone. She had scribbled him note, which he found on the counter in his kitchen stating that she had to hurry home to get dressed for work. He sighed as he crumbled the letter up tossing it aside. He had wanted to see her before she left to make sure she was alright. A part of him was half wishing that she wanted to see him too but judging by her abrupt departure he guessed not. He took another sip of his coffee staring at the wall when his house phone rang. The caller ID showed a number that he didn't recognize. _Maybe it's Allison…_

"Hello?"

"John? It's me Carmella."

"Oh…uh…hi…how are you?" he stammered. He had forgotten that she was in town and couldn't help but be slightly disappointed. He was hoping for Allison.

"Wow John. You seem thrilled to hear from me," she joked.

"Oh no. It's not…you know I'm always happy to hear from a good friend. I was…just…I wasn't expecting to hear from you."

"Oh well…I guess I can understand. Anyway, I was hoping that I could see you today. I've been…thinking about you a lot lately and I just…" There was a slight pause before she continued. "If you're busy then I completely understand," she said sadly.

"Awe no…I'm not too busy today. In fact, how about we meet in a few and spend the day together?"

"That sounds great! Should I drive over or…?"

"No, I'll come and get you. You're at your mother's right?"

"Yeah. So I'll see you soon?"

"Right. Later sweets."

Cena smiled as he hung up the phone. Carmella was the absolute last person he wanted to see yet it couldn't be helped. He could hear the sadness in her voice and he had always been a sucker for sad women…sad women like Allison. While he really wanted to investigate more about her personal life, he supposed Carmella's calling was just God's way of saying not to interfere. The thought still did not sit too well with him but all the same he decided to give it break for the day. He was about to spend the day with one of the most beautiful women he'd ever known so what could be better than that?

-------------------------

Allison crept back into her father's house and climbed the stairs. She was surprised to see that her father was not sprawled on the living floor in his boxers for a change. _He must not have had whiskey then…_She opened her room door and wanted to just die.

"Where have you been?" her father asked. He was clutching a belt in his hand and was staring at her with a smirk on his face.

"I…I spent the night at a friend's house," she managed. _God please…_

"I see," he said softly. "Why didn't you call to tell me where you were? I was worried sick about you."

"I…well it was late…and I just…I figured you were asleep and…"

"Don't play with me little girl! Do you take me for a fool?!? I was your age once and so was your mother. How do you think you got here?" he spat. Allison just stared at the carpet, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm…I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Sorry won't cut it for me," he replied popping his belt. "Now take off your shirt or I will do it for you."

------------------------

Cena's Explorer pulled up in at Carmella's mom's house and was glad to see that she was already standing outside. The driver opened the side door to let Carmella in and she was greeted with a kiss on the cheek.

"Where's your folks?" he asked as they drove off.

"Well, mom's out at a garden club meeting and my father's away on business."

"Oh ok. Well just give them my hellos when you get back."

"I will. I see you're looking better than ever. How's the shoulder?"

"Ahh well, I'm supposed to go back to the doctor in a few weeks. If all goes well I should be able to remove the cast then. I probably won't be cleared to wrestle again anytime soon but just to have the cast off will be a relief."

"That's great! I hope it all works out then."

"Thanks sweets. So um…tell me something."

"What?"

"How have you been since we last spoke?"

"I've been…fairly well. Why do you ask?"

"I dunno. I just got this feeling when you called earlier that something was up."

"Oh…well…it's nothing."

"You know, you can't hide anything from me. You should know that by now missy." He put his arm around her pulling her close.

"Honestly John, I was just missing you…this."

"This?"

"Well…lately, I feel like something's been missing from my life. In fact, ever since you and I went our separate ways I haven't been the same." Cena shook his head suppressing a chuckle.

"Yeah, well you ain't the only one who's been doing some soul searching and to tell you the truth, a part of me hasn't been the same either."

"Really?"

"Well yeah. I mean, after all, we were _supposedly_ a concrete couple who loved each other very much and if I remember correctly we were engaged to be married."

"Yeah…yeah we were," she whispered.

"But you left me," he added softly.

"John I…"

"No…it's ok. There's no need for an explanation. We both know why you left so let's just leave the past in the past."

"No…John listen. I don't think we…I have to get something off my chest." She pulled away from him and looked towards her window.

"I'm listening."

"John…I…while it's true that I may have left you, you have to admit that you were in no hurry to try and get me back."

"Wait…what?!?!"

"John…you never were…you never loved me the way that I loved you."

"Oh no…you are wrong sweetheart. You see, I did love you with all my heart. I was willing to prove it to you by marrying you…"

"But you knew that I wasn't ready for that kind of commitment!" she cried.

"You told me you loved me. I loved you back. I gave you the ring and you bailed on me."

"You make it sound like it was my entire fault."

"It is what it is."

"But you never came back for me."

"You said that you wanted to move on with your career. I assumed that I wasn't needed in your life anymore so I moved on."

"I see," she whispered softly turning to face the window again. Cena sighed grabbing her right hand and cupping it within his own.

"Look, when I say that I've moved on it doesn't necessarily mean that I have another love interest. To tell the truth, I haven't been with anyone since you and I called it quits. I made a decision that day to keep my guard up and not worry about finding love. With my career as big as it is, I haven't the time for love."

"Oh…well…I…think that's…I won't bother you too much then."

"Hey…I didn't mean…I didn't say you couldn't…what's wrong with us hanging out?"

"I just…I don't think we should hang out anymore," she cried. Cena cupped her face and groaned when he saw the tears streaming down her cheeks.

"But you're the one who called me…?"

"What's the use if you don't love me anymore!?" she cried. It took Cena a minute to realize what was happening. She was admitting that she was still in love with him-maybe and he was actually feeling something as well, but what? He listened to her sobs for a while before wrapping his arm around her.

"Don, how about some Baskin Robins?"

---

---

A few hours later Cena was being driven back to his condo. After taking Carmella for some ice cream, things settled down a bit more. Even so, he still couldn't shake off the weird vibe he was getting from her all afternoon. It seemed as if she was trying to reach out to him but what was so damn confusing about it was that he couldn't quite pin point how? Was it that she still loved him and wanted a second chance or was he just over reacting to an oversensitive female? Cena let out a laugh as he hurried inside his condo. He didn't have time to worry about such things. He had a doctor's appointment coming up soon and all he needed to focus on was getting better so that he could get back into the ring. That was all…except…He entered his bedroom and smiled when he saw his jersey folded neatly on the bed._Allison…_

"Hey Don! I just remembered that I have to be somewhere…" he hollered through the house. He grabbed the jersey off of the bed before heading towards the front door.

"Yes sir?"

"Yeah…um…the girl Allison…she'll…"

"I understand sir," he said with a grin.

"Uh…right. Wipe that damn smirk off your face you old coot! I just need to give her back her clothing. That is all." _And do a little investigating of my own…_

"So where does she live?"

"Uh…let's just go by her dorm. I think I can get by without anyone noticing me. Like I said, I'm not gonna be there long. I just need to check some things out right away."

---

---

Cena pulled up outside Allison's dorm about ten minutes later and was pleasantly surprised to see her sitting outside in the courtyard. She was sitting on the ground with her back against a tall cedar tree and she was staring up at the sky. Cena grabbed the jersey and eased out the truck being careful not to let the door slam. Since she was not looking his way, he was able to sneak up on her with ease.

"Mind if I sit next to you?" Allison jumped at the sound of his voice.

"Sh…Shawn! Um…what are you…?"

"So you definitely aren't happy to see me I see."

"No…no it's not that. Have a…uh seat but if you don't wanna sit on the ground we can…" Allison stopped talking and noticed that a couple of people had stopped to stare. "Uh…better yet, let's just go to my room." He helped her to her feet and she led him up the walkway until they reached what looked like mini apartment complexes. She led him around a corner under some stairs until they reached her room. She hurried him inside and closed the door.

"Wow. People sure do love to stare," he laughed.

"Yeah as if you were some kind of celebrity or something." Cena shifted nervously before Allison spoke up again. "Just have a seat on the bed."

"Oh no…I'm cool. I just was bringing you the jersey back. It's yours."

"Huh? But that's…"

"No…I want you have it. I have plenty and besides, it looks better on you anyway," he grinned. He walked over to her and handed her the jersey.

"Wow…This is…first your coat and then your jersey. I don't know how to thank you."

"Naa, I don't need any thanks. I haven't done anything just yet."

"But to me, it's a lot and I thank you. Not many people will give a complete stranger a ride home and let them sleep in his bed."

"Yeah, you're probably right about that one but I don't recall letting strangers sleep in my bed. Only friends…special friends." There was an awkward silence before Allison spoke up her face red with embarrassment.

"Uh…so how's your arm?"

"Oh yeah. It feels pretty good. I haven't felt any pain in weeks and I am supposed to go for a check up soon. If the doc gives me the okay I can get back to working real soon!"

"That's great!"

"Yeah, and I can't wait either. My shoulder…it's been quite the hindrance. I never knew I'd miss my arms so much."

"The hindrance is probably a good thing. You don't need to be lifting heavy objects or doing anything to strain your muscles," she scolded.

"I know, I know, but I can't help but to wonder…" He shook his head and let out a small chuckle.

"Wonder what?" she asked.

"I…really shouldn't go there but it _is_ the truth…"

"Okay…so what? Spill it!" she laughed.

"I can't help but to wonder…" he said softly, moving closer to her so that they were now just inches apart. "Last night…what would have happened if my hands weren't restrained?" He ran a finger up her arm and to her shoulder.

"Well…I…I don't…know," she managed. He put his arm behind her and pulled her into a warm hug.

"I have an idea," he whispered, "but I'll just leave it at that." He ran his hand up and down her back before sliding his hand up her shirt. What he found made him quickly draw back. _There are wheps all over her back…Someone is hurting her and I don't like it._

"I…uh…you should probably…go now," she managed, pushing him away.

"Yeah, uh…I gotta go do some stuff but um…are you going to be here tomorrow? I thought I'd drop by and hang for a while."

"Um…no…I have to work so I'm gonna go home."

"Aight. Well, call me if you need anything. I'll be around. Take care yourself baby girl." He leaned over and kissed her forehead before heading out the door.

"Damn," he muttered. _I am going to find out what's going on if it's the last thing I do._

* * *

**AN: **_I know...I know...It's been a while but I've been busy. Gahhh Cena came back before I could finish this story. That is not sitting well with me at all:P:P Oh well. I'm glad he's feeling better. I've missed him and he's a hot piece of man. Read. Enjoy. Review. Next update will be...who knows?_


	7. Chapter 7

Cena got up the next morning and went for a run. In just a few days he would be journeying to the doctor for his checkup. If all was well, the cast would be removed and he could start back wrestling in no time. The main purpose for his run was not just to stay in shape. He was actually running because he slept horribly the night before. Every time he closed his eyes to sleep, he nightmares of his childhood. Images of his mom being beat to death clouded his mind to the point where he couldn't sleep. The thoughts of his mother only made him worry even more about Allison. Who could be hurting someone as harmless as she he wondered?

Cena's phone started vibrating in his sweats and it was just the excuse he needed to stop jogging. He looked at the ID and shook his head._Carmella._

"Hello?"

"Hey John. How are you?"

"I'm doing ok. How about you?"

"I'm…fine. Listen John, I just called to apologize for what happened the other day. I don't know what came over me and I just…"

"Hey…whoa…slow down," he chuckled. "And do quit the apologizing. It's not necessary."

"Yeah but I blamed you for a lot of things that I shouldn't have and I'm just…I'm really sorry John. I hope we can still be friends."

"Sweetie it's ok. And you know my policy-once a friend, always a friend…unless you go and kill somebody." Carmella started to laugh making Cena smile. "There's that laugh I like to hear."

"I feel a lot better now thanks to you. How about I get you a coffee and some donuts? My treat…you know, as a peace offering? I'm sure you're probably outside jogging anyway."

"You know me," he laughed.

"Well what do you say? Or do you have other plans? I can take a rain check you know."

"Uh…no actually I can do with a cold coffee right about now. Just give me about twenty minutes to rinse off and I'll meet you at Starbucks."

"Alright. So I'll see you in a few. Later John."

"Later sweets."

-----------------------------------

Cena arrived at the coffee shop exactly thirty minutes later and found Carmella waiting at a booth near the very back_. Damn. I wish she wouldn't have sat so far back. I pray no one recognizes me._

"John!" she exclaimed. _God, why is she so excited?_

"Hey Mella." He pulled her into a warm hug and kissed her forehead before sitting across from her. _Damn. She looks so hot…as usual._She was wearing some tight fitting blue jeans and a red halter. Her hair was pulled back into a high pony tail and her eyes were highlighted perfectly by the light shade of blue makeup. The red gloss on her lips was the icing on the cake, advertising those luscious, kissable lips of hers.

"I've already ordered our drinks and donuts since you always order the exact same thing," she joked.

"Oh good because I am starving!" Cena looked around the coffee shop and what he saw made the hairs stand on the back of his neck. _Allison._ She was looking right at him and for some silly reason he couldn't help but to feel guilty. He saw her set down a tray of glasses and hurry back towards the kitchens. _Dammit._ A second later, another girl came out of the kitchen and grabbed Allison's tray bringing it to their booth.

"Uh…are you sure this is ours?" Carmella asked. "Some other waitress took the order but…"

"Yes, this is it maam. The other waitress said she was feeling a bit faint so she's in the back taking a break."

"Oh ok. Well thank you very much. I hope the other girl gets to feeling better." Cena didn't hear the conversation between Carmella and the waitress. His mind was on Allison but he wasn't quite sure how to feel. On one hand, he felt relieved that she did not come to his table. Otherwise, it was possible that she would have found out that his name wasn't Shawn. On the other hand, he couldn't help but to be pissed off. If he wasn't sitting there admiring his ex, then he could have called Allison over and talked with her like he had been wanting to since their last meeting. _Damn it all._

"John?" Cena jumped at the sound of his name. "Are you alright?"

"Uh…yeah. I was just…"

"Are you worried about your checkup?" she asked.

"Uh…"_No but it's the perfect excuse so I'm running with it._ "Yeah…you got me."

"Oh John…I am…I don't think you should worry so much. You're a tough guy and you can get through anything. I'm sure everything will work out just fine." She leaned across the table and kissed his lips. "Now eat your food silly," she grinned.

-------------------------

Allison just stayed at the door and watched as Carmella planted a kiss on Cena's lips. _I knew it was too good to be true. He's taken…Not that I had a chance with someone like him anyway but still…_Allison wiped the tears from her eyes before setting back to work. Just because the love of her life was seeing someone else didn't mean life would stop. There was always somebody else and with that thought she went back to making lattes.

----------------------------------------------------

An hour later, Cena and Carmella were heading outside of Starbucks to go their separate ways.

"Thank you Carmella. I had a great time and food's always good to make amends," he grinned giving her a half hug.

"Well, I hate to say it but I had a wonderful time too. You reminded me why I fell in love the first time." There was an awkward silence before Carmella turned and planted a kiss on his cheek. "I hope we hang out again soon John. Have a good one." He leaned over and gently kissed her lips.

"And you do the same." She flashed him a warm smile before getting in her Subaru and driving off. When he was sure that she was out of sight, he went back inside the coffee shop and waited for Allison to come out.

Allison finished washing a batch of dishes and decided to start back waiting tables. She grabbed a pen and pad then headed back out front but stopped short when she saw Cena waiting for her. _Oh gee…what's he still doing here?_

"Allison?"

"Uh…hi Shawn. Listen, I am just…" He grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. "Will you please talk with me?"

"I…I can't. I'm on duty so I can't…"

"I mean after you get off work."

"Well…I really…I have to get home," she stammered. _Not really but I'm starting to like you too much and you're already taken…_

"Why do you keep running away from me?" he asked, clearly very frustrated at this point.

"I don't…I just don't have time to talk and anyway, shouldn't you be with that girl of yours? How does she feel about you being here talking with me."

"There's nothing between me and her."

"If you call that nothing," she muttered. _Yeah right…I saw the two of you kiss. I bet you're just like all the rest only you're hot._

"Allison…"

"I have to go. I'll…I'll try to call you later."

Allison walked off and started waiting tables. It wasn't long before Cena got up and left. A part of Allison wanted to run after him and ask him about that other girl but something inside her told her it was best not to pry. She had been hurt enough already so why push the issue and make matters worse.

---

---

Four hours later, she clocked out and caught a taxi home. Her car still had not been fixed but she was in no hurry to worry her father about it. She had enough to deal with without him knowing about the car. The taxi dropped her off a block from her dad's so she walked the rest of the way. She had almost reached the driveway when a familiar looking vehicle started to slow in front of the house. I know that's not…The Explorer stopped in front of their house and out walked Cena coming towards her. _What is he now? A secret service agent?_

"Hey baby girl."

"Uh…Shawn…what are you doing here? Are you some sort of stalker?" she huffed.

"Hey, don't give me that attitude. I told you that I wanted to talk with you."

"I said I would call."

"No you didn't. You said you'd 'try'. Any man with half a brain knows that 'try' translates into 'hell no'."

"You didn't give me a chance."

"And neither did you. Now what's with the attitude?"

"I…well you're following me home for one thing. How did you know that you were welcome to my home?" she snapped.

"I thought that we were friends," he replied slowly. "I thought that I could drop by to see you since we are friends…unless this is a one-sided friendship."

"No…It's not…I just…Dammit!" she huffed. She turned away from him and folded her arms. _Now what do I do?_

"ALLISON! WHAT ARE YOU DOING STANDING OUT HERE IN THIS RAIN? YOU CAN GET SICK AND I AM NOT PAYING ANY GODDAMN HOSPITAL BILLS IF YOU GET THE PNEMONIA!" Allison jumped at the sound of her father's voice. _Oh no…_

"Uh…I just got back," she stammered. "I'll…be in soon. I was just…talking with a friend."

"YEAH WELL HURRY IT UP. I'M STARVING AND YOUR MA WON'T BE HOME UNTIL LATE SO YOU'LL HAVE TO START DINNER." He went back inside the house and slammed the door. Allison was so flustered that she didn't know what to say or how to say it. She didn't even realize that she was crying until she felt Cena's fingers under her eyelids.

"Shawn just go," she whispered. Cena lifted her chin and brushed his lips against hers.

"I can't go…not just yet. I'm worried about you and I wanna be there for you but you won't let me. Why? Why won't you let me help you?" he asked.

"You can't. No one can now please go." She brushed by him but he pulled her back.

"Allison…I'm going to help you."

"How? You have no idea…"

"I'm not stupid sweetheart. In fact, I have a pretty good idea why you're always this timid but that will change soon. _That_ is a promise." Before she could protest, he leaned over a kissed her lips. She didn't want to respond but when his tongue entered her mouth it had the same effect as it did the first night she kissed him. She wrapped her arms around him, deepening the kiss until she heard her father's voice again.

"ALLISON!" she jumped and started off towards the house, leaving Cena behind.

Cena watched Allison run towards the house without even chancing a glance back. He watched her go inside but his feet stayed planted where they were. For some reason his body would not move. _Allison…what's he doing to you?_ He glanced at the front door and strained to hear anything but it was virtually impossible due to the steady rain fall. After finally claiming defeat, Cena headed back to his Explorer and headed for home. He was halfway there when his phone started ringing. _Please be Allison…_Nope. It wasn't Allison.

"_Shawn?_"

"Hey bro. It's Shawn although I can't help but to notice the extreme disappointment in your voice," he joked.

"No…it's not…of course I'm happy to hear from ya. In fact, I really need to discuss some things with you."

"Yeah well we can talk in person because I'm going to be in your neck of the woods for a few days."

"Alright. Great. So when can I expect you?"

"Tomorrow. So get ready to talk because I'm sure you have a lot on your mind."

"You have no idea Shawn. No idea at all…"

* * *

**AN:** _Don't know when the next update will be but it will be soon...hopefully:P _


	8. Chapter 8

Cena did not sleep at all that night. He tossed and turned thinking about Allison. At 7am, he finally decided to get on up. There was no point in staying in bed if he wasn't going to be able to sleep. He headed straight for the shower then once dressed, he started towards the kitchen for some coffee. Normally he wasn't a big coffee drinker but because his head was throbbing he decided coffee would be the next best thing besides having Allison in his arms safely.

The door bell rang a second later and he groaned. _Who in the world…? I am so not in the mood._

"Coming." He hurried to the door and flung it open only to find his former tag team partner grinning up at him. "Shawn! Oh man…I forgot you were coming."

"Well I can leave if this is a bad time…"

"No, come in. Maybe you can put my mind at ease."

"That's what I'm here for."

"Yeah and take off that ridiculous hat. You look like a bad gangster."

"Sorry. I thought you of all people would appreciate my hat." He closed the door behind him following Cena into his kitchen. Cena fixed them both a cup of coffee before settling down.

"Alright bro. Tell me what's on your mind. You had me scared the other day when I called you. I would have thought you'd be happy to hear from your favorite tag team partner."

"I'm sorry man. I've just…got too much on my mind."

"Well spill it. I didn't come over here for nothing."

"I don't want to…I need to talk about it but I'm not sure where to begin. My life's all screwed up."

"Ha!" Shawn coughed. "_Your _life? Screwed up? I don't think so buddy."

"Oh yes it…wait a second. Don't tell me you and Kim…"

"No, we haven't broken up but…"

"But…" he said sounding deeply disturbed.

"But Rhi isn't letting this go so easily. First of all, Kim has yet to tell her mom that we are engaged."

"Why not?"

"Because she's afraid of Rhi. She thinks that I'm going to let Rhi take me back."

"Are you?"

"No, but this divorce is starting to get nasty and Kim's afraid that something bad is going to happen. Plus, we don't see each other much. In fact, since Wrestlemania I've only seen Kim twice."

"Why do you two…Well, you're on the road a lot but are you two even making an effort to see each other?"

"Not really."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't trust myself. I don't want to..." Shawn paused to think for a minute before letting a wide grin form across his face. "Well I would love to make love to her but I can't. She's too perfect and I will wait for her hand in marriage. I feel like she's worth it."

"I hear you man. I don't think you should worry though. Nothing bad can happen if you keep your head up."

"I know but…you don't know that woman. I often find myself wondering how I lived with her for all those years. The woman's a nightmare!"

"Oh man. Shawn I had no idea…"

"Don't worry about it. I am not going to worry about that woman, especially Monday night."

"What's going on Monday night?"

"Kim is coming to the show with Brittney. They are going to sit in the audience…or so that's what they think. I am planning on letting Kim accompany me to the ring. Matt is going to do the same with Brittney for his match."

"I think she's going to love that. I…is it this Monday or the next?"

"Next Monday. I get the week off since I was attacked viciously by Edge last week."

"Oh yeah…Well…that gives me…"

"An idea. Let's hear it."

"Well…Carmella is in town."

"Oh yeah. How's that coming along?"

"I don't know. I still have feelings for her…something like that but for some reason I can't bring myself to return the feelings that she have for me."

"Does she still love you?"

"I think so but I can't bring myself to tell her that I love her too."

"Do you?"

"Maybe," he mumbled.

"Well then I suppose you can't tell her if you're not sure."

"Yeah, I guess."

"The idea?"

"Oh yeah. I can bring Allison to the match, you know, like a date if I get the cast off. If I'm out with Allison I won't have time to think about Carmella. In fact, I never think about Carmella when I'm with Alli."

"That sounds good. I can introduce her to Kim and Brittney. They'll take good care of her."

"Yeah," he said softly.

"So how is she?"

"Carmella?"

"No, the other one doof."

"Oh…Allison. She's doing…actually I wish I knew. There's some funny business going on in her home and I want to help but she won't let me."

"What's going on?"

"I am positive she's being abused."

"Positive?"

"I…well yeah I'm positive and don't ask me how I know. I didn't actually see the scars but I felt them and…Quit laughing Shawn. This is serious."

"I'm sorry but you are being ridiculous. So you made out with the girl and things got hot and heavy? Who am I to judge you? I'm no better."

"Yeah well…"

"Stop beating around the bush and tell me what's going on."

"Allison's being abused Shawn. I know she is but she won't admit it. I think she's trying to…protect her father but I can't understand why."

"Maybe she thinks that you can't help her."

"But she won't even let me try!" he said angrily.

"That's when you take matters into your own hands and do it yourself."

"I've thought about it but I'm uncertain about how to proceed. She lives on campus except on the weekends that she has to work. I guess I could go and have a talk with him but…"

"I would agree with you on that one but I don't think that's going to fly."

"Why not?" Cena took another sip of his coffee and stared at Shawn grimly.

"Well…if I had a daughter and some guy came by my house telling me how I should treat her, I would probably be offended."

"But he's a bad person!"

"That may be but that doesn't matter. Unless you're planning on asking him for her hand in marriage then you need to find another way to do it." There was a long awkward silence that was interrupted by the ringing of Shawn's cell. Shawn looked down at his phone and groaned.

"Who is it?" Cena asked.

"Rhi," he grimaced. "Hold on…Hello?"

"Shawn we need to talk."

"We've already talked enough. Unless you're planning to give up this ridiculous act about being the helpless victim of an affair then we have nothing to talk about." Cena couldn't help but to laugh out loud at this. He put his head down on the table in a sad attempt to ignore Shawn's annoyed, sarcastic humor.

"No I'm not giving up the act because it isn't an act."

"Whatever. Get to the point woman. I have things to do…"

"More like young women to do," she snapped.

"Rhi…"

"Your son wants to see you."

"Well let me take him..."

"As if. If I let you take him you might not bring him back."

"You're probably right. So when might you be bringing him to me?"

"I'll let you know but just so you know, you'll see him sooner than you think and with his new potential step father."

"Huh? Stepfather? Wait a second, we need to talk…"

"Good-bye Shawn." The line went dead and Shawn banged his fist on the table causing Cena to jump.

"Oh…sorry man," he mumbled.

"What's wrong?"

"I…don't…want…to…talk about it."

"Shawn…"

"Oh alright! Apparently Rhi has a new love interest or as she put it, a 'potential stepfather' for my son."

"Oooo…that's…"

"She kills me. Just one more thing I have to worry about."

"Well, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know," he sighed. "But we're talking about you not me."

"But you…"

"What are you going to do about Allison?"

"Any suggestions?"

"Ha! I can't believe I am trying to give you advice when my life is more screwed up than yours. Well…I suppose you can talk to her."

"I already told you that she won't listen."

"Then make her."

"How do you make a woman listen?" Shawn just grinned.

"I have my ways," he grinned.

"Oh my…Shawn you are something else. Aight. I'll give it a try but…"

"You know you want to seduce her."

"Yeah well it'll have to wait til my arms are healed."

"When does the cast come off?"

"Hopefully in a few hours," he smirked.

"Well then. Let's get out of here for a while. Where's a good place to get some grub?"

"Uh…I know just the place," he grinned.

* * *

**AN:** _Sorry that it's shorter than usual, but I wanted to focus this chapter on my two favorite tag buddies. Let's see...things will get very interesting soon. Trust me. R&R:_


	9. Chapter 9

Allison sat in her room and stared out the window. It was still pretty early but she had tossed and turned so much during the night that she figured she may as well get up. She could hear her father stomping around downstairs more than likely pissed off at her stepmother for staying out late again. Allison often wondered why her father wouldn't just leave that bitch of a step mother but she later convinced herself that they were a match made in heaven. Hopefully he won't beat me too bad today. Allison jumped at the sound of her father's footsteps coming up the stairs. A second later he was pounding on her door.

"ALLISON!"

"Ye…yes sir?"

"What are you doing in there?"

"Uh…getting dressed for work," she lied.

"Oh…ok. Well fuck I'll leave you alone then. What time you get off? I need someone to cook me supper since that whore I sleep with occasionally won't do it," he grumbled.

"Uh…how about I bring you something when I get off? I got to work a double shift."

"Yeah whatever," he mumbled stumbling back down the stairs. Allison let out a huge breath as she climbed off her bed and started rummaging through her drawers for her work clothes. Technically she only had to work one shift and that wasn't for another two hours but she figured she would go to the park to pass the time away. It was a pretty morning and she figured the fresh air would do her some good. Minutes later she was sneaking down the stairs and out the house to enjoy a long morning walk.

**BB--BB--BB**

Shawn sat outside in the lobby of the doctor's office reading a magazine. A few minutes later he spotted Cena coming up the hall wearing the smuggest of grins. He was no longer wearing that cast which made Shawn smile.

"I see that the cast is gone," he grinned standing to his feet.

"Yeah man and I feel great! The doc said that if I want to I can get back to the ring although he stressed that I should probably wait another month."

"Are ya?"

"Hell naw man! I can't believe you just asked me that. Would you?"

"Well…I am older…"

"Oh cut the crap!"

"Yeah…you're right. I'll get right back in the ring. But enough of that. Do you know what this means?"

"Um…that I can go and beat the hell out of Randy and recapture the WWE Championship?"

"Um…no. Have you forgotten about the girl already?" Shawn asked shaking his head.

"What? No! I…I just…"

"You just need to go and take care of business. Now let's go. You're wasting time and I need to go call my baby." Shawn ushered his friend out of the building with the hope that Cena could make things right for the girl.

**BB--BB--BB**

Cena dropped Shawn off at the gym before pulling his Explorer across the street from Starbucks. He was pretty sure Allison had to work but he knew that if he went inside the coffee shop she would only hide or sneak out the back to avoid talking. He couldn't have that. Not today. After hearing Shawn talk about Kim and all it made him realize that he cared for Allison a lot. He wasn't sure what a lot meant but he knew he cared for her more than Carmella. That was the one and only thing he was sure of at this point.

He wasn't sure how long he had been waiting since he was pretty sure he had zoned out, but after what seemed like minutes he spotted Allison coming out of Starbucks. Her hair was pulled back into a pony tail and she was wearing some khakis and the jacket he had given her that night. She stopped at the street corner and looked down the road, probably looking for a cab. Not today sweetheart. Cena rolled down his window and called out to her.

"HEY ALLISON! OVER HERE SWEETS!" She looked across the street and grinned.

"SHAWN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

"COMING TO TAKE YOU HOME WITH ME," he grinned. She smiled as she hurried across the street and to his car. "Well, aren't you going to get in?"

"Well…I don't know. I should probably…hey wait a sec! You are NOT supposed to be driving! Are you crazy?!"

"Get back baby girl." She took a few steps from the car so that he could get out. Much to her surprise, he grabbed her and pulled her into a big hug.

"Oh my…SHAWN! Your arm is free!" she exclaimed. He kissed the top of her forehead as he pulled away.

"Yep, which means you have absolutely no chance of getting away today."

"I…well I guess not." She reluctantly got inside the vehicle and Cena couldn't help but to grin.

"What's so funny?" she asked as she closed the door. She folded her arms across her staring him down in an attempt to give him the 'mom' face but she only caused him to laugh harder.

"Nothing sweets. So have you eaten anything yet?"

"Uh…I hate to say it but I have."

"Oh darn it. Then I suppose ice cream and a walk through the park is just out of the question? Poor me. I'm all alone with no one to talk to or hang out with. What's a guy like me to do?"

"Oh alright you big baby. Ice cream would be fantastic and in case you haven't figured it out yet, the park is my ideal place."

"That was my plan," he grinned.

Ten minutes later they were strolling through the park side by side eating chocolate ice cream on cones. There were quite a few people hanging out in the park. There were a lot of children playing ball or walking their dogs. There were also couples that could be seen sharing moments under the trees or snuggling on the benches.

"Must be nice," Allison mumbled.

"What must be nice?"

"Oh you heard me?"

"Of course. You forget, I actually pay attention to the people I care about."

"Oh….well…I was only thinking out loud."

"About what?"

"It's nothing."

"Oh come on," he wined. "Please?" he asked, making a baby face.

"I was just commenting on some of the couples. I was thinking that it must be nice to have someone to…be that close to."

"Oh. So I take it you don't have anyone like that?" Allison shot him a look that clearly said 'asshole'. "What?"

"You scared off my boyfriend remember?"

"Oh…yeah I did but he didn't deserve you anyway."

"How you figure? How do you know I wasn't an asshole to him all the time?"

"Because I just know."

"Oh give me a break! That's such a typical man statement."

"At least you recognize a man when you see one," he smirked.

"I've been wrong several times."

"But I can assure you that you're not wrong this time."

"If you say so," she grinned. They walked along in silence passing a few more couples along the way until they reached the dock. Cena led Allison to a gazebo by the lake where they sat down together. He put his arm around her pulling her close as she snuggled up against him.

"A few weeks ago I would have laughed in someone's face if they told me that I would be snuggled up against a real hot man under a gazebo." Cena chuckled at her statement before letting his fingers wander down her arm then to her fingers.

"Yeah well a few weeks ago I was damning the world to hell and just last year I was damning all women to hell with the world." Allison shifted a little before raising her head to meet his gaze.

"Awe…that's so sad. Why were you damning women and the world to hell?"

"Well, just like you I had a very bad relationship experience. It wasn't the worst experience ever but at the time I thought so."

"What happened? Oh wait, you don't have to answer that. That was very rude of me to ask and…"

"It's ok. I don't mind talking about it."

"But that was still rude of me and then there's the fact that you haven't known me long enough to trust me so…"

"I trust you. You're my friend and if you can't trust good friends then who can you trust?"

"Uh…"

"My point exactly. Now I haven't had very many serious relationships. In fact I've had only two and both were with the same girl."

"Wow. You don't hear that often."

"Yeah well it was just lucky for me…or so I thought. To give you quick rundown, last year I had proposed to this woman. I loved her…I think…"

"You think?" she scoffed.

"Yeah well sometimes when I have time to mull over it—like now—then it makes me wonder whether or not I loved her enough to make it last a lifetime ya know?"

"Oh, I get it."

"Yeah well as you probably have guessed, she turned me down. She said she wasn't ready to commit like that. I know you're probably wondering why I didn't just wait for her."

"Yeah. I am."

"We talked about it and basically she loved me but she wasn't 'in love' with me. She wanted to put her career ahead of our relationship. Now granted that I told her it wouldn't get in the way and I was even willing to take time off of my job to make things right but it wasn't enough. Call me whatever you want but that really hurt me to the point where I wanted absolutely nothing to do with women ever again."

"Oh Shawn…Shawn I'm so sorry. I wish I wouldn't have asked."

"It's ok baby girl. You're the second person I've discussed this with and you know what?"

"What?"

"I'm glad that I did." He smiled down at her and getting lost in the moment, his lips somehow found their way on top of hers. Before he knew it, his tongue was in her mouth and he was pulling her body closer, feeling the warmth of her. Before he could get too lost in the kiss, he pulled away and chuckled.

"What's so funny?" she teased.

"How your kisses never seem to lose their electricity." Her face turned a light shade of pink before she turned away.

"Hey Shawn?"

"Hmmm?"

"My father beats me." At this, Cena sat up straight and studied her intently. This was the opening he'd been looking for all day although he had to shamefully admit to himself that he had forgotten all about Shawn's 'Operation Seduce Allison'.

"You are finally ready to confide in me?" She turned to him and smiled.

"I don't…talk about this to anyone except my Xanga but after hearing your story about your…past I just feel like I can finally speak about this."

"I want to hear your story and I want to help you in anyway that I can but if you don't want my help, I'll respect that—for now—and take what I can get."

"Thanks Shawn."

"So tell me why would he beat a sweet thing like yourself?"

"I think he beats me because my stepmother angers him so much. She never stays home. She goes out all the time with her high-class friends but she stays out so late. My father thinks she's sleeping around but who knows? He drinks tequila and rum all day so he really wouldn't know."

"Whoa! He hardcore ain't he? Tequila and rum? Wow."

"Yeah," she replied softly. Cena put his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Why do you put up with it? Baby girl, you can leave anytime you want you know."

"Yeah but he's putting me through school. My mother can't afford to do it."

"I hear ya but…well, I can't really blame you for trying to stick it out. I guess if I was in your shoes, I'd do my best to stay in school too, but now you have options baby girl."

"Options? Shawn, I really don't want to be working at Starbucks the rest of my life. I don't mind living here but I want something more."

"And you can have more."

"How?"

"Well I…I think you should come and…"

"JOHN?" Allison and Cena both looked up to see Carmella standing in front of them.

"Carmella? What are you doing here?" he asked. The tone of his voice signified his utter annoyance as well as shock. Why the hell was Carmella lurking about?

"I was just out walking in the park with my cousin. We thought we had spotted you earlier but we weren't sure. Who's your friend?" she asked smiling.

"Uh…" He was so full of mixed emotions that words would not escape his lips. Of all the times for Carmella to show up this was one time he wished she'd have stayed away.

"Is she your new girlfriend John?" she asked. "If so, I am sorry for intruding. I was just stopping by to say hi since you never call."

"What?!" he asked. "Carmella, just…"

"You go by the name John?" Allison asked.

"Well…" he started but Carmella cut him off.

"That's his name isn't it?" she joked. Allison just stared at her and then cut her eyes towards Cena. "Uh…did I say something wrong?" she asked clearly sensing the dramatic build up of tension that had begun to surround them.

"Allison…" Cena started.

"Is John your middle name?" she asked softly.

"No. John is his first name. His middle name is Anthony…"

"CARMELLA!" he yelled now standing to his feet.

"What? I was only trying to help. My God, doesn't she watch TV? I mean, you're all over TV now days with your commercials and wrestling."

"You're a movie star?" Allison squeaked. She was now fighting hard to hold back the tears and mask the sadness in her voice.

"No, I'm not a…"

"Oh yes he is!" Carmella shrieked. "Haven't you seen the movie 'The Marine'? He was so awesome in that movie!" Allison just blinked her eyes several times before standing to her feet.

"John Cena is the marine," she replied softly. "My brother has your DVD."

"Allison wait…"

"I'll let you two catch up. I have to…I have somewhere…I gotta go," she choked before running off.


	10. Chapter 10

Cena watched as Allison walked off

Cena watched as Allison walked off. A part of him wanted to run after her and explain everything but a part of him already knew what would happen. She had such a hard time trusting anyone and what little trust she had given him had now been shattered by fate. Cena felt like crying. He knew that it was a pussy ass thing for a big man like him to do but he couldn't help it. He wanted to drop to his knees and cry like a big baby. The funny thing was he didn't know why. Why did it matter to a superstar like him whether or not Allison ever spoke to him again? It wasn't like he was going to see her much anymore anyway since he was getting back in the ring soon. But still, none of those comforting thoughts seemed to help him at all. In fact, all it did was make him feel sick to his stomach.

"Hey John?" Carmella slid her arms around his waist in an attempt to calm him down.

"Carmella, please. This is not the time. I need to think about some things and you're not helping at all."

"Look John, I don't know what kind of relationship you had with that girl but…"

"Had? What do you mean by that?" he snapped. She pursed her lips and folded her arms across her chest.

"Yeah well in case you didn't notice, she was pretty hurt that you had been keeping secrets from her. I can't believe you didn't tell her who you were. What's she been calling you this whole time? Shawn?" When Cena didn't answer Carmella let out a loud laugh. "Oh my God! That's it! You told her your name was Shawn?"

"You know what Carmella, get the…never mind. I'm leaving." Cena started walking off cursing himself under his breath but Carmella followed closely behind.

"Look John, I'm sorry alright? I didn't know you were on a date and I sure as hell didn't realize that you were seeing someone else. I just…I saw you earlier and I wanted to see you again. Is that so wrong?" she asked. Cena stopped in his tracks and let out a sigh. He knew Carmella may have been trying to be sincere but right now she was the last person he wanted to see.

"Carmella, right now I'm just not interested."

"Will you ever be interested John?" she cried. Cena just stared at her and noticed that she was now starting to cry.

"Oh no. Not now Carmella. Why the…why the tears?"

"Are you really that blind John? How can you not know how I feel about you? You know, I've called you several times leaving you messages but you never call back."

"But you…"

"And now I see you in the park on a date with some girl...if you were seeing someone else you should have told me!"

"But I'm not seeing anyone else!"

"Then why were you two all hugged up?"

"I…I DON'T KNOW! GOD WOMAN! GIVE ME A BREAK HERE! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO WOULDN'T MARRY ME!"

"I KNOW THAT JOHN! DON'T YOU…don't you think I know that by now? You never miss an opportunity to throw it in my face." She wiped her eyes and let out a laugh. "I'm sorry," she muttered. "I'm sorry that I ever tried to love you again."

**X--X--X--X--X**

Cena got in his car and drove around for at least an hour trying to let off some steam. He was so pissed off at himself that he could have wrecked the car and not even cared. Sometime during his drive he managed to call Vince up and beg him to let him appear in tomorrow night's show. When Vince reluctantly agreed, it was enough to take Cena's mind off of the days events. He drove home, parked his Explorer and went inside hoping to get a nice hot shower before bed. Much to his dismay, Shawn was sitting at the kitchen counter drinking hot coffee wearing the biggest of grins.

"Oh not you," Cena groaned. Shawn, looking slightly hurt, just sipped his coffee and shook his head.

"Forgive me for waiting up for you like a good friend. If you don't want to talk about it then fine. Suit yourself. If that's the case then I'll go stay at the hotel tonight." Shawn put down his coffee, grabbed his keys, and started for the door. Cena grabbed his friend by the arm stopping him at the door.

"Come on man. I'm sorry. I just…"

"You're not going to solve any of your problems if you keep pushing them aside. Now judging by your looks and the slight attitude problem, I'd say things went pretty bad."

"I'd say you are right. In fact, I'm pretty certain that I'm at an all time low and I don't know why." Shawn put up his keys as he headed for the cabinet. He got out a cup and fixed Cena some coffee before motioning for him to sit with him.

"Talk to me."

"She knows."

"Who knows?"

"Allison."

"Knows what?"

"Everything," he said grimly.

"By everything you mean…"

"She knows my name is John and not Shawn courtesy of the ex." Shawn almost choked on his coffee as he did his best to hide the 'oh shit' face.

"How the heck did you manage to run into her?"

"The park. Allison loves hanging out at the park. Can't say that I blame her because today I found out that the park can be a pretty chill place to hang out. Anyway, Mella spotted us under the gazebo and things went downhill from there."

"Oh man. So how exactly did Carmella ruin the day?"

"Just her presence in general ruined the day!" Cena growled. "She was just being her normal self. By her being a model, you know that she's one of the real cases of that so called 'model behavior'. She just doesn't know when to shut up. There was a point today when I was secretly wishing The Rock would just pop out of nowhere to tell that chick to know her role and shut her mouth!"

"Wow. Yeah, I've had those moments in my marriage…no, excuse me, ex marriage."

"Man Shawn. You know what's funny? I'm not trying to be arrogant or anything but as a movie star and ex WWE Champ, I can pretty much have any woman I want."

"Yep."

"Yeah and the thought was supposed to cheer me up but it didn't. It only made me feel that much worse. I felt sick to my stomach.You should have seen the look on baby girl's face. I had finally, FINALLY managed to get her to talk to me."

"How'd that go?"

"She admitted that her father was abusing her. I kind of understand her situation but at the same time I feel like nothing is worth the abuse. I was…going to…" Cena took another sip of his coffee and stared at his best friend. "I was going to let her come live with me." At this Shawn almost fell to the floor. He had been leaning back in his chair and had almost lost his balance.

"Come again?" he managed.

"I know its wrong Shawn. Under God's eyes it's wrong, but my intentions were strictly honorable. I wasn't trying to…she doesn't need to be in that house!"

"You don't have to explain anything to me buddy. I trust you and I know that you're just trying to help. Now my question for you is this: what are you going to do now?"

"I…there's nothing I can do. She doesn't trust me anymore. It was written all over her face…or so Carmella pointed out."

"First things first. Have you sorted out your feelings about Carmella?"

"She and I had a moment today where she pretty much told me that she was still in love with me. At the time, I was so angry that it didn't phase me at all. I took a drive around the city and after doing some serious thinking I realized that Carmella could never complete me. She's…I care deeply for her but I'm no longer in love with her. If don't see her again soon then fine by me."

"Wow. That's harsh."

"That's how I feel right now."

"At least you know where you stand with her. Now on to Allison. How do you feel about her?"

"I…man I thought about her today too and I feel like I've lost one of my most prized possessions."

"Whoa. Time out. She was just one of your toys?"

"No you dork. I mean, let's see…fuck I don't know. I loved having Allison around. I loved her helplessness and driving around today I thought about how I loved taking care of her."

"Like a pet?"

"No not like a pet but…like a…companion. I thought about all the times I helped her out. She would always go out of her way to thank me like I was her knight in shining armor."

"More like a knight in street clothing with one arm," Shawn laughed.

"Aw come on. Don't joke. I'm fo real. I liked having her back and I liked having her around too. She never complained and although she was probably getting the hell beat out of her everyday, she never once let on that she was hurting. She's a strong woman and I like that but then…I felt kind of special because there were times when she'd let her guard down to me. She'd let me be there for her as be her protector and comforter—like today," he added softly. He sipped some more of his coffee and stared at the table.

"I think I know what's going on with you but because I'm not certain, you'll have to figure that out on your own. But I have a suggestion."

"What?"

"Go to her dad's house to see her."

"Huh? Why? Her father's a bastard and if he answers the door I can't promise you that I won't beat the hell out of him."

"You need to go and see her. Even if she doesn't come down to see you at least she'll know that you still care and that you really want to be there for her."

"That sounds too much like begging to me," he muttered.

"Women like that and if you ever hope to keep a good woman then you better learn to beg."

"I don't beg."

"Then she must not be worth it." Shawn glanced down at his watch then stood to his feet. "I hear you're in the show tomorrow night. I got a call from Vince and he wanted me to verify that you were all healed up. I put in a good word for you. Anyway I am about to get into that big beautiful guest shower and then hit the sack. I got to get up early tomorrow morning so that I can drive about 4 hours to get my baby."

"Why not let Don take you?"

"Yeah he offered. I told him that I wanted to at least drive there. So if it's ok, I'm stealing your driver for about 15 hours."

"Whatever floats your boat man now go shower. You're stinking up my place."

"Yeah yeah."

Shawn left Cena at the table with plenty of food for thought. Was Allison really worth the trouble? She was young, smart, beautiful…hell yeah she was worth it. _Begging._ Something Cena was not accustomed to. He did not believe in begging for anything. He was always the type of person to get what he wanted some other way besides begging but from the looks of things there was no getting around it this time. He let out a huge groan as his head fell to the table. _Only a dumb fool in love would sit here and worry about this. Love. There's just no way I could be in love with that girl._ The more Cena tried to shake the 'L' word, the worse he felt. After struggling to think about anything else, he decided to take Shawn's advice by going to see Allison. He was willing to try anything at this point to free himself from…whatever.


	11. Chapter 11

When Allison got back to her dorm room, she just lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling lost in thought. She really didn't know how to feel right now. On one hand, she figured she should be pissed because of the lie but then a part of her couldn't really blame him since he was a movie star. That thought sat well with her for a while until she realized that she had confided in him her deepest, darkest secret about her life only to have him sink so low as to lie. How was she supposed to confide in someone secret things about her life when the person she knew or rather thought she knew was harboring secrets himself? Allison began to cry until she managed to cry herself to sleep.

**--XX--XX--XX--XX--XX--XX--XX--XX--**

Cena walked up the steps to Allison's house and sighed. He couldn't believe that he was about to do this but because he had already headed up the stairs, there was no turning back now. One deep breath later and he was ringing the doorbell. A second later the door swung open and he was face to face with a tall, gruffy looking man. He had gray hair and piercing blue eyes though Cena sensed a dazed look about them. He looked as if he hadn't shaved in a day or two and he smelled strangely of old spice and rum. What a combination Cena thought.

"Who the hell are you?" the man asked.

"Uh…I'm looking for Allison. Is she around?"

"Allison huh? What are you to her?"

"Uh…well I'm just a really good friend."

"Ha! Don't lie to me boy. She has no friends."

"Well she's got one in me. Hey listen, I really need to speak with her. It's very important. Can I please see her?" Cena was trying his best to come off as sincere and harmless as possible but the old man wasn't buying it.

"I think I know you," the man said studying him intently. "Hmmm…yeah you're the guy she was all hugged up with that time. Yeah…you were taking advantage of her. No, you can't see her and if you put your damn hands on her again, I'll do you in for sure."

"Whoa…hey, calm down mister. Look, I wasn't taking advantage of her and as for my putting my hands on her, well, she didn't seem to mind. At least I touch her in good ways though the same can't be said about you I'm sure."

"What the hell does that supposed to mean? You trying to be funny?"

"No, I'm not trying to be funny. I know what you do to Allison and it's taking everything in my power not to show you what it feels like to be beaten senseless."

"Who are you supposed to be? Her boyfriend? Husband or something? Otherwise, you have no right to be over here telling me how to raise my daughter," he growled.

"In case you haven't noticed, your daughter is a grown woman…"

"BUT SHE'S LIVING UNDER MY ROOF AND HER TUITION IS BEING PAID BY ME. THAT MAKES YOU AND ANYONE ELSE IN HER LIFE MY BUSINESS. GOT THAT?" Cena had just about had it and without thinking he grabbed her father's shirt and jacked him up against the front door.

"Now you listen to me you stubborn bastard, I don't give a damn what you're doing for Allison. She's your daughter and that makes it your business to take care of her…for free. She shouldn't be working her ass off at that damn coffee shop, going to school, and coming here to be your slave while you beat the hell out of her. You keep knocking her side the head then she won't have any book smarts left. But you know what? She won't have to worry about you anymore because I'm taking her away."

"You have no right."

"As my wife, I'll have every right to do as I please. In the meantime, I suggest you keep your filthy hands off of her or I'll give you a first hand demonstration of what a professional wrestler can do." At this, the old man's face went pale and he mumbled something that sounded like 'whatever'. Cena loosened his grip on the man and once again asked for Allison. This time, the old man was a little bit nicer.

"She ain't here. She only stays here on the weekends. My guess would be that she's at school…or somewhere screwing some low life," he laughed. At this, Cena drew back and punched the older man in the stomach before walking off.

"HEY YOU! I'M CALLING THE COPS!" he coughed.

"Go ahead," Cena mumbled. "You'll go to jail before I will. I'm not the alcoholic beating his daughter." The older man cursed loudly before storming inside his house and slamming the door. Cena just chuckled as he got inside his vehicle. He had taken care of the mean old father without having to kill him. Now it was time to talk to Allison though he already knew how this was probably going to turn out. Still, he had just told her father that she was going to be his wife. It had been a lie of course, but despite his feelings on marriage, he'd do anything to make sure she was safe, even if it meant a marriage of convenience.

**--XX--XX--**

Allison had just opened her eyes when she heard knocking at her door. I have no friends so who the hell could that be? She rolled off the bed and hurried to the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me baby girl. Can we talk?"

"Go away," she mumbled turning back towards her bed.

"Please? I really want to talk to you. I'd much rather do it face to face but if you don't open the door then I'll be forced to just keep talking through this door."

"I'm not opening the door for a liar," she grumbled.

"I knew that was coming and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. I just…I was going to tell you eventually but things just kind of moved quickly. I never thought I'd meet someone like you and become good friends."

"We're not friends now go away!"

"Alli…I really am sorry. I just…when I gave you a ride that night, I never thought I'd be seeing you again. That's why I gave you the fake name…in case you later figured out who I was."

"But I told you that I didn't watch wrestling a few days later."

"I know and I should have told you then but like I said, I never thought I'd get so close to you. Then I found out about…but that's beside the point. Listen…please open the door."

"No way."

"Alright," he sighed. "I'll just leave now. But um…I just wanted to apologize to you. I never meant to hurt you and if I could do it all over again, I'd tell you my real name the night you slept in my bed," he said softly. "I'm…only going to be in town for another couple of days. The doc cleared me to wrestle again so I'll be back on the road soon. I'll be on TV tomorrow night at nine and then we have a show here next Monday night."

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"I…don't know. Well, good-bye baby girl."

It was silent for a long time and when Allison was sure Cena had gone she started crying all over again. It was as though he really cared about her. No guy had ever cared enough to come back and apologize. Then again, none of her other boyfriends were ever wrong about such things. Cena wasn't even her boyfriend yet he came by to apologize. The more she thought about it, the more she cried. Cena had apologized but she also owed him an apology as well. It was rude of her not to open the door especially when he was being so humble. It wasn't like they were together and he had on several occasions helped her out. She had let her pride get the best of her and now it was probably too late to get back in his good graces. He had been a friend and a really good one. Allison just climbed under the covers to go back to bed. It was still kind of early but the way she felt, she was sure she'd be sleep again in no time flat…especially since she was going to have to find away to deal with being in love with a man who did not love her in return.

**--KK--KK--KK--**

Shawn got out the Explorer and watched as his woman and her best friend tossed water on each other. They both were wearing bikini and were lying in the grass of their dorm's courtyard. The sprinklers were running so both were gleaming in the sunlight. Shawn tried his best to shake the dirty thoughts from his head but it had been a long time since he'd seen his fiancé and she was setting him on fire all over again. He shook his head as he approached the two young ladies, who were totally oblivious to their surroundings. _It's so worth getting wet over._ He was going to just holler for them but he decided against it. He took off his hat and shirt before sneaking up behind them.

"Hey ladies." Both girls jumped at the sound of his voice. They turned to see Shawn standing over them getting all soaked just like them from the sprinklers.

"Shawn!" Brittney exclaimed. "Wow. You look hot!" she teased.

"Thanks but you two look even hotter." He cut his eyes towards Kim who was now just staring at him as if frozen in time. Brittney just laughed out loud at the two of them as she stood to her feet.

"I'm going to go get changed. I'll give you two some time alone." Brittney ran off leaving Shawn with Kim, who still had not managed to find her voice.

"Long time no see," he grinned.

"I…wow. Where's your shirt?" she managed.

"I tossed it aside. You want me to put it back on?"

"No silly. You'll get it all wet," she grinned. "And why are you here under the sprinklers? I would have come to the car to greet you love so that you wouldn't get wet." Shawn sat down next to her on the grass and grinned.

"I wanted to get wet. That way when I hug you, I can slide your pretty little body up and down mine," he teased.

"Oh my...behave," she laughed. He leaned over and brushed his lips against hers. "You know, I still can't believe you're mine."

"Believe it sweetie. I wouldn't have it any other way. Plus...I have been waiting forever to kiss you again." She wrapped her arms around him as he deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth all over again with his tongue. Her hands caressed his back as they both lie back onto the ground. Shawn rolled over on top of her bringing his lips from her mouth to her neck. He could feel her tiny fingers making a path down his spine which only made his arousal worsen. His tongue made tiny circles around her neck forcing a soft moan from her.

"That's what I like to hear," he whispered now nibbling at her ear.

"I can't help it. That feels so good," she managed. He looked in her eyes and smiled.

"God I've missed you sweetie. And you know what else I've missed?" he grinned.

"What?" she asked laughing.

"This." He lowered his mouth to her chest and began licking drops of water from around her breasts. His tongue encircled each breast before finding itself closed off by her bikini top.

"Before you decide to do anything else, may I remind you two that we are outside in broad daylight. Making love in a school courtyard is bad for school business." Shawn kissed Kim's tummy before standing to his feet. He helped Kim up then pulled her into a hug.

"Now Brittney, you know I wasn't going to…"

"Uh huh. You haven't seen her in forever yet you're trying to tell me that you were going to actually be able to stop yourself? Men," she muttered before going back towards the dorm.

"I think I need to go put on some clothes." Shawn planted a slow lingering kiss on her lips.

"I suppose I can let you go do that. But to be perfectly honest, I'd much rather keep you half naked and finish what I started in the car but I know that I can't."

"I'd let you," she teased.

"Please don't tempt me. I could care less about Brittney seeing us," he wined before planting a kiss on her neck.

"You big baby," she grinned. "So last night you told me that you needed a favor. What's going on?"

"It's about Cena. I'll tell both you and Brit in the car. I think you two may be able to help him out."

* * *

**AN:**_ I will eventually get the chapters fixed again. If they keep updating the damn site, I'll never have anything worth reading anymore. Grrr I usually separate my scenes with small dashes or symbols instead of that horrible horizontal line but alas, the site took mine away. So now I have to go back and re-edit every chapter of every story I've written. Pain in my ass. End rant. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter. You got three quick updates and they will now slow down again. I had managed to write 3 chapters during my break and here's he third one. In case you are confused about Kim or Brittney, read _**Oh Choices**_ and _**Oh Choices II**_. I plan to have the ending of this story set up for part three of Oh Choices. That's the plan but things could change. R&R Love you lots peoples!_


	12. Chapter 12

Cena didn't recall hearing Shawn when he got back the night before but when he woke up the next morning, Shawn was already up and moving about drinking coffee.

"Hey man. When you'd get in last night? Or did you come in just a few minutes ago?" Cena teased.

"Hey, you think so low of me. I told you that I had to be careful. I don't want to dishonor my baby anymore than I already have. God must have been with Brittney yesterday because I almost made love to Kim--in broad daylight no less—on the school courtyard."

"Whoa! _Seriously?_"

"Yeah. I didn't want to leave her you know, but if I would have crashed at the hotel there wouldn't have been any sleeping going on."

"I hear ya. Fine ass woman you got there," Cena grinned.

"I don't deserve her. You're probably wondering why I'm up so early."

"Yeah. After that eight hour round trip and the late night dinner, I'm sure you're pretty tired."

"That woman…"

"That's all I need to hear. What's Rhi up to now?"

"She'll be in town next Monday night for the show. She's bringing my son and apparently her fiancé as well."

"Her timing is always the worst."

"Yeah and I don't know how she knew but I get the feeling she knew Kim was coming. All she wants to do is scare Kim off and although Kim is pretty strong willed, she still feels like a home wrecker."

"But she's not."

"I know," he sighed. "I just can't…maybe when we're finally married she'll get over it. If anyone's the home wrecker it's me."

"And you're not either."

"Yeah well I sure as hell didn't make things any easier for my son. Anyway…I have been dying to ask you about yesterday but I was scared you'd beat me senseless." Shawn pretended to hide behind a chair while Cena frowned, folding his arms across his chest.

"You have a funny way of asking for info."

"What can I say? I learned from the best."

"Well it didn't go bad." Cena took a seat at the table followed by Shawn.

"So it went good then?"

"But…it didn't go good either."

"Oh damn. What happened?"

"Good news first. I managed to talk to Allison's father without killing him. I jacked him up and scared him shitless. That gave me great satisfaction."

"Excellent!"

"Yeah…well I don't know if it's so excellent for Allison. I sort of told the old man that Allison was my fiancé." Shawn just stared at his friend with his mouth wide open. He was now completely speechless and sensing this, Cena continued on with his story. "I…know it was a lie because you have to have an actual engagement to have a fiancé but it was the only thing I could think of. I told him that Allison did not have to listen to him anymore and he started ranting about his daughter blah blah blah…and how he's paying her tuition…blah blah blah…so I pretty much told him that the husband has more rights over the father." At this, Shawn burst out laughing.

"You always amaze me Cena. Well…that was one way to go about things and don't glare at me. I probably would have done the same thing but only if I truly cared about her."

"I do!"

"Well then. Be proud of what you did. Now did you get to talk to Allison?"

"Yeah through the 2 inch thick door of her dorm room," he scoffed.

"That's better than nothing. What she say…or rather what did you say?"

"I apologized for the lie. Told her that if I could do it over again, I'd tell her the truth…in my bed."

"Real smooth kid."

"I was serious. The night she slept with me…but not really, we had a nice conversation and the more I think about it, the more I just wanna kick myself. I should have told her then. She trusted me enough to sleep in my bed. I should have done the same and trusted her enough to keep my identity a secret. I mean seriously, who was she gonna tell? She has no friends…except me."

"Until tonight."

"Huh? If you want me to go back and see her then it's out of the question. I have a show tonight you slacker."

"Hey. Don't get mad at me because I'm the World Heavyweight Champion. And FYI, I wasn't talking about you."

"Then who are you talking about?"

"Uh…let's just say there's going to be a big party at your condo tonight."

"Huh? I'm…"

"The girls are coming over. Brittney, Kim, and…Allison," he added quickly.

"WHAT?! How'd you…?"

"Calm down lover boy. You want to make peace with Allison and we both want her to have new friends. Well…I talked to Kim and Brittney about the situation and they are planning to pay her a little visit. Brittney's got a cousin named Kelly who lives on campus. She's going to pay a visit to her cousin and then 'run into' Allison. If they can convince Allison to come over and watch wrestling tonight, she'll get to see her man on TV…"

"I'm not her…"

"And she'll have four new friends in me, Kim, Brittney, and Kelly," Shawn replied sweetly.

"Shawn that's…crazy…I can't believe you'd go behind my back but…"

"But?"

"But if…you can manage this then I'd be truly grateful. In fact, I'll owe you one…two if she talks to me again."

"Deal…but um…you got to help yourself too you know."

"What do you mean?"

"Any idea why she wouldn't open the door?"

"Uh…because she hates liars like me?"

"Not even close. I can assure you that she doesn't hate the only real friend she ever had. Pissed maybe but pissed is far from hatred. Try this for thought—maybe you didn't tell her what she wanted to hear."

"But I said I was sorry! What more did she need to hear?"

"Figure it out before you come home tonight. I trust my girls. She'll be sitting on the couch in the house tonight watching every move you make in the ring. Don't blow it this time. You might not get another chance and you said it yourself, you miss the girl."

"Yeah," he mumbled.

**--BB--BB--**

"Is this the place?" Kim asked. They pulled up in front of what looked like mini apartment complexes.

"Yep. There's Kelly standing by that tree over there." The girls got out and headed towards Kelly.

"HEY KELLY!" Brittney yelled. Kelly turned and yelped before running at her cousin giving her a big hug. "Gosh it's been forever!"

"Yeah I know! So this must be Kim?"

"Yeah, it's nice to meet you," Kim grinned.

"Well, we are here to see you but we're also here on a mission," Brittney informed.

"Yeah I remember. So Allison lives two doors from me. I hope she's in there because I haven't seen her all day. In fact, I hardly ever see her now that I think about it."

"Yeah well let's hit it," Kim urged. "I want things to work out for Cena and my baby's depending on us."

"Yeah, yeah," Brittney laughed.

"So how are we actually going to 'run into' Allison?" Kelly asked.

"Uh…" Kim started but Brittney just cut her off.

"We're not." She ran to Allison's door and knocked loudly like she was the gustapo or something.

"Damn Brit! Have you ever heard of the word 'tact'?" Kim hissed as she and Kelly hurried to join their friend. Before Brittney could answer, Allison opened the door staring at the three of them dumbfounded.

"Um…can I help you?" she asked frowning.

"Uh…well…we wanted to," Kim stammered, but Brittney cut her off.

"I know you've seen my cousin Kelly around haven't you?" she asked pointing to Kelly who managed to smile weakly.

"Yeah I've seen her around but…"

"Well, I'm Kelly's cousin Brittney and this is Kim. We wanted to talk with you about hanging out sometime."

"Uh…"

"Now I know this seems a bit odd being as you don't know us, but if you've ever watched wrestling then I'm pretty sure you've seen Kim's man on TV. He's a total hottie named Shawn Michaels," she grinned. Allison's face went pale and she wanted to just drop dead. Brittney looked slightly concerned and turned to Kim for help.

"Uh Allison? Don't mind Brittney. The word 'tact' is no where in her vocabulary. Let me be honest with you for a second alright?" Allison just nodded her head stiffly as she stared at the ground. "I know what's been going on with you and John Cena these past few weeks." At this, Allison's head popped up and she looked as though she were about to cry.

"You guys…I really would rather not…"

"He cares about you Allison," Kim said calmly. "If he didn't care then I wouldn't be here speaking on his behalf."

"He sent you?" she asked angrily.

"No, no, no, it's not like that. He has no idea that we're here. It was my fiancé that sent me here. He…he thought maybe you'd like to come and hang out with us at Cena's condo."

"No. I refuse…"

"But wait…just hear me out."

"Alright. Fine," Allison replied. She wiped her eyes and stared at them all with a look of utter annoyance.

"Look, my fiancé is also in the wrestling business and when I first met him, he did not tell me exactly who he was. I knew he looked familiar but I just couldn't place him. Since I'm a big wrestling fan, once he told me his name, I knew who he was right off the bat. I of course, am a selfish person so I never told anyone that he was a TV star. I wanted him all to myself…"

"In more ways than one," Brittney muttered. Kelly burst out laughing and Kim just glared at them both until they straightened up.

"Anyway, Shawn and I ended up falling in love but he…he was married and it was a long, tough fight to get where we are today. Right now, only one thing is certain about Shawn and me and that's the fact that we love each other very much. My point to this heart-wrenching tale? Uh…I'm not real sure. I just know that Cena cares about you very much and I think you may care for him too. If so, don't throw away this friendship just because he made one mistake. I probably should have given up on Shawn because of his wife Rhi but he loved me and it took a whole lot of convincing to get me to agree to marry him, but I just can't imagine spending the rest of my life without him. You and Cena may not be at that point in your relationship, but judging by the way you are fighting back tears, I can tell that you love him like I love Shawn." Kim pulled Allison into a hug and smiled. "Please come over tonight and watch Raw with us. You'll get to see Cena in action. My baby will be watching with us since he's got the night off and he'd love to meet the girl who's got his best friend losing his drawers." Allison managed a laugh as she pulled away from Kim.

"Are you…certain? You guys don't even…know me."

"Yes, we're sure. We're all friends now," Brittney grinned. "Now go get changed. Put on your best pj's and get ready to be amazed. Cena never ceases to amaze anyone. Plus, tonight is his big return. Nobody knows except us!" she exclaimed. Allison nodded her head as the girls ran off. When they were a safe distance from Allison's room, Kim let out a sigh.

"You guys are going to ruin me. You especially Brittney," Kim huffed.

"Yeah well she's so…I can't quite place her," Kelly commented.

"I think she's really hurting about Cena. I mean, if Shawn's story is accurate then she was the one who pushed him away and if that's the case, she pushed away a man that she loves to death. Any girl would be feeling sick to their stomach about something like this, especially if there's a chance he loved her back," Brittney added.

"For once your reasoning makes since," Kim joked. "Anyway, let's get back to the house. I miss my baby already."

"I know what you really miss," Brittney whispered to Kelly.

"I HEARD THAT!"

**--AA--AA--**

Allison sat on her bed lost in thought. She was trying to decide whether or not those girls were for real. She glanced at her cell phone and saw that her brother had called. It had been two weeks since she'd called home. She was so busy with school, work, Cena…Just the thought of Cena brought tears to her eyes. She glanced around the room trying to find something to do to take her mind off of Cena but everything had already been done. Her clothes were already ironed and put up. She had arranged all of her DVDs and CDs yesterday. The floor had been vacuumed and all of her homework was done. She had absolutely no reason not to go now. Secretly, she had wanted to scream out 'yes' when they asked her over but her pride wanted her to say no. Was Cena really worth swallowing her pride this once? She was about to find out. She headed to the restroom and started her shower. _Tonight should prove interesting…_


	13. Chapter 13

"I thought you guys said she would be here?" Shawn asked. He was sitting on the couch next to Kim while Brittney was seated on the floor in front of them. She was holding a big white bowl full of popcorn and had a bottle of coke next to her. She was wearing the tiniest shorts Shawn had ever seen with a matching blue sports bra.

"She'll be here," Kim commented. "Just have a little faith," she joked.

"You know I got that sweetie," he grinned grazing his lips against her cheek.

"Oh wow. You two should get a room," Kelly commented. A second later the door bell rang and Kim jumped out of her seat.

"Sweetie you could have let Brittney get the door," Shawn whined.

"I'm sorry but I'm the one who invited her over. It would be rude for the hostess not to answer." She hurried across the room to the door opening it to find Allison standing there in her Miami Dolphins sweats and a tank.

"Hi. Uh…" Kim cut her off by pulling her inside the house and giving her a big hug.

"Damn Kim. Can she actually get into the house good?" Brittney exclaimed. Kim let Allison go and shuffled her into the living room. She was immediately greeted by Brittney, Kelly, and one of the most beautiful men she'd ever laid eyes on. She had no idea how long she had been staring but she was knocked out of her trance by a flying pillow.

"What the…?"

"Sorry but your face was just too funny," Brittney laughed. "Since Kim is also at a lost for words, the guy that you were staring at intently with a shred of longing is the _real _Shawn Michaels. He's her hubby-to-be." Kim eased past Allison and sat back down on the couch next to Shawn. He kissed her cheek and they both grinned up at Allison.

"Wow. Uh…congrats you two," she said nervously. _How in the hell did she…? He's got to be like twice her age but still, he's so fine!_

"The look on your face is of one that's concerned," Kelly commented.

"Well uh…"

"I take it your mind is slightly baffled about the age difference between the two of them?"

"Well…"

"It's quite alright. You see it's actually a funny story."

"One that's totally uncalled for at the moment," Kim said quickly.

"I think it fits the occasion," Kelly retorted.

"Fine," Kim mumbled.

"You see Allison, Shawn is also a WWE wrestler and in case you haven't figured it out by now, he's been wrestling ever since…probably before I was even thought about."

"Hey! Go easy on me," he whined. "I can't help it if age has caught up with me."

"Oh shush. Anyway, the first time Kim saw him on TV she fell head over heels for him."

"Kelly that's so cheesy," Brittney laughed.

"It's my story and I'll tell it the way that I want to!" she snapped. No one else dared to say a word. "Now then, she eventually fell in love with him and the sport of wrestling. Since then, she has never missed a night of Monday Night Raw."

"I didn't…" Kim started but Kelly ignored her.

"You see, most people would say that she was more or less just infatuated with him but as fate would have it, it decided to test the bonds of that love. Well, while Kim was vacationing in Miami last year, she met Shawn, who was also vacationing in Miami. Well, it was the love story that would stand the test of time. It beats Disney 10-1. It was truly love at first sight!" Kelly exclaimed. Everyone in the room just stared at Kelly as if she were crazy.

"Um…Kelly, I don't mean to sound rude but how is it that you know all of this when I know I haven't told you anything of the sort? Also, you're Brittney's cousin and you live here…which means you don't live where I live and there's no possible way you could have known…unless someone ran their mouth and told you this hell of a tale," Kim asked, eyebrows raised in curiosity. Brittney proceeded to shove more popcorn into her mouth and just shrugged.

"Whatever. You know you liked my tale. Anyway Allison, that's pretty much the gist of it although I'm sure Brittney will inform you of all the juicy late night rendezvous they had later."

"WHAT?!" Kim exclaimed.

"Not now Kim! It's almost time!" Brittney beckoned for Allison to join her on the floor while Shawn and Kim took over the couch. Law and Order was gone and it was time for Raw!

**--RAW is WAR--**

Cena sat backstage alone watching the show on one of the monitors. He was making his big return tonight so it would much later before he'd actually go out in front of the crowd. Any other night this wouldn't bother him but tonight was different. He had butterflies in his stomach just thinking about it. It wasn't that he didn't want to go out there in front of the fans. Hell, that's the main reason he'd worked so damn hard to get better but now it seemed that things were different. He found himself caring not so much about the people in crowd but mainly of the people sitting back at his condo watching from the big screen. One of those people was possibly the girl he'd come to care deeply for in such a small amount of time. Cena placed his head in the palm of his hands and sighed. Tonight…tonight he was going to do something that would either ruin him for life, or possibly earn him more fans. Either way he knew that it was no turning back now. If he didn't do something now then he would spend the rest of his life wondering…

"Alright Cena, it's almost time." Matt had come backstage looking for him now that his match against MVP was over.

"Oh, yeah man. I'm coming."

"Hey…are you alright? You look like something's bothering you," Matt inquired.

"Uh, it's nothing. I'll uh…catch you later," he mumbled.

**--AA--**

Cena's music hit and Brittney 'bout dropped her bowl of popcorn.

"OH HELL YEAH! IT'S CENA!!" she screamed.

"Uh…I never knew Cena excited you so," Kelly frowned.

"Excite me? He could do more than excite me," Brittney teased.

"Oh wow." They all watched as Cena came from behind the curtain sporting his jean shorts, Jordans, Atlanta Falcon's jersey, and a silver chain taking in the mad ovation from the crowd. He just stood there smiling as the fans chanted 'Cena' before rushing down the ramp to the ring. Randy Orton took off running as Cena slid inside the ring. Cena grabbed the mic and proceeded to thank the Raw audience for sticking with him.

"Wow," Allison whispered. Brittney gave her a small nudge and smiled.

"Yeah, it's really something isn't it?"

"Yeah, I…I had no idea he was…famous and then there's the actual wrestling. I had been telling my brother for years that this stuff was fake but I am ashamed of myself. Just watching for the first time tonight has made me see how dangerous all of it can be."

"Yeah and you see how easy it is to get injured but if you don't have the passion for the business then you wouldn't go out there and risk it all to entertain millions of people around the world," Shawn added. "For me, it's more or less that feeling you get when you know that you've given 110 percent and the fans are showing their approval and admiration. However…" Shawn looked over at Kim and planted a kiss on her neck. "I'd give it all up for the woman I love."

"Oh come on!" Brittney huffed. "Can you stop with the sentimentals? Not everyone in this room is engaged you know!"

"Oh stop it! You're with a Hardy Boy so don't give me that!" Kelly snapped.

"We're not 'together' per se, we're just…"

"Really good friends," Kim finished. "Yeah, it always starts out like that but then…stuff happens and well, you end up like me."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Well…if he's already semi-attached then…"

"Oh no sweetie. I refuse to let you go there. My heart belongs to you and no one else," he said sternly. Kim nodded her head before they all turned back to the screen. Cena was finishing up his rant but something seemed wrong. He had a look of pure anguish on his face.

"Did we miss something?" Kelly asked.

"I…don't know," Allison replied. They watched as Cena lifted the mic to his lips and stared directly at the camera.

"_So I have something else I'd like to get off my chest. For months I have been at home watching Raw from my big screen. It has been pure hell watching Randy 'Blow Me' Orton prance around here claming to be the greatest champion that's ever lived and as painful as that may have been, it still can't compare to losing a good friend. You know, I've made many mistakes in my life but none of them I'd take back. My mistakes have led me here to the WWE and I wouldn't change a damn thing."_ There was a thunderous applause but Cena lifted his hand to silence them.

"_Yeah, I say this but now I have to wonder whether or not everything I've done is truly worth it. You see, kicking ass on here tonight was all fine and dandy but I felt like a part of me was missing. You guys laugh, but I did not feel as joyous as I thought I would feel weeks ago when I was sitting at home. That being said, I can only think of one thing that's causing me to feel this way and it's…it's Allison."_ At this, the arena fell to an eerie, hushed silence as they all waited patiently for Cena to continue.

"_Allison…baby girl I am sorry. I am admitting right here and right now, in front of millions of people that I have a made a mistake in lying to you. At the time, I thought I was making the right decision but I can clearly see now that it was apparently the wrong one."_

"Oh my God," Brittney whispered. _I can't believe he's doing this…Maybe he'll tell her…_Brittney chanced a glance at Kim and Shawn who were both just staring at the TV with their mouths open.

_"Baby girl if you're watching…I just wanted to tell you that…"_ The crowd erupted into Cena chants again, urging him to finish his story. Cena let out a huge breath before facing the camera again. _"Baby girl, I love you and if there's even a chance, a small chance that you might love me too, I'll see you when I get home."_ And with that he dropped the mic and exited the ring as his music was drowned out by the thunderous applause from the crowd. Brittney, Kelly, Allison, Shawn, and Kim all remained uncomfortably silent.

--

--

They were like that for the next hour. No one said anything about the old episode of Law & Order that had started playing. No one dared suggest that they turn and no one even bothered to ask Allison how she felt. In fact, they all felt slightly intimidated, slightly moved, and slightly frightened. Since none of them had any idea about Cena's speech, they were sure that Allison probably suspected them as being in on Cena's confession. Since they already knew how sensitive she was about these kinds of things, they thought it best to just stay quiet.

When Cena finally walked through the door, it was as though a heavy burden had been lifted. Brittney immediately jumped to her feet and started for the door.

"Uh…great show tonight Cena. We would stay but uh…we have a project to work on. Come on Kelly," she hissed.

"But I…"

"NOW!"

"Fine," Kelly grumbled. She flashed Cena a smiled before quickly heading out the front door. Shawn and Kim stood to their feet as well.

"Hey man. Great show," Shawn said with a grin.

"Thanks buddy. Thanks to you of course."

"Nope. All you boy. Anyway, I'll uh…be back later…maybe. I have to drive my baby back to the hotel. It's dangerous out there you know?"

"Uh…"

"See you later," he grinned. He took Kim by the hand and led her outside leaving Cena and Allison behind.

"So what you think?" Kim asked.

"I don't know. If he doesn't get it right tonight then I just don't know."

"I think he'll be alright," she grinned. "Now as for us…"

"We are going to be terrific. No more bad thoughts. Let's get you back so you can get some rest."

"Alright."

**--LOVE--**

The door closed behind Cena and all was quiet. He looked across the room and found Allison just sitting on the floor in front of the TV. Her head was down so he couldn't read her face. _I hope I haven't made a fool of myself…Oh well, here goes…_Cena dropped his bags onto the floor and started across the room towards Allison.

"Baby girl." She held her head up, eyes filled with tears, and saw that he had his hand stuck out. She hesitated for a moment before grabbing his hand letting him pull her to her feet.

"John…"

"Look Allison, I'm sorry ok? I really am sorry and I have been beating myself up about this since the day you left me at the park."

"But John…"

"Allison please…please give me the chance to prove to you that I am trustworthy. Let me still be your friend…" He clutched her hand before bringing it to his lips, planting a kiss on the back of it. "Your protector…" He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a warm embrace. Surprisingly, Allison hugged him back squeezing him as though she didn't want to let go. Cena brushed his lips against her cheek and then her ear drawing a sweet sigh from her. "Let me be your lover," he whispered.

Deciding that he'd rather not give her time to protest, Cena lifted Allison from the floor and started carrying her down the hall. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and her legs around his waist while he carried her to his room.

When they reached his room, he placed her on the bed and then lowered himself on top of her slowly.

"John…I'm…I don't…"

"I won't hurt you. I could never hurt someone that I love."

**--HOT--**

"I wonder what's happening with Allison and Cena?" Kim asked. She and Shawn were standing outside her room trying to get the door open.

"Well I don't know, but if Cena's a smart boy then he'll be trying to do what I want to do to you." Kim grinned as she finally got the door open. Shawn followed her inside and without warning, he slammed her gently against the door as it closed.

"Wow. Shawn…I thought you said…"

"I know…I know," he winced, "But I can't help it. You're so damn delicious and I…" He stopped mid-sentence and let out a sigh. "This is wrong. I can't do that to you or myself. I promised myself that I would behave and so…" Kim slowly traced his lips with her tongue as she ran her hands down his chest. Shawn closed his eyes and let out a deep breath.

"What were you saying?" she teased.

"Don't start something you can't finish." His voice was raspy with hunger but he managed to inch away from her a little.

"Okay," she sighed. He turned away and started across the room. "Hey Shawn? Could you help me get out of this bra?" That pretty much did it for him. Shawn hurried back towards the door and pressed his body against hers. He lowered his head and started kissing her neck while her hands roamed freely across his back. His hands tugged at the waistline of her pj's before he finally backed away and yanked them down. She quickly stepped out of her pants before he pressed her against the wall again.

"Stop me," he whispered running his lips all around her neck.

"Never," she whimpered.

"You have to. You know I can't stop myself," he pleaded. He looked into her eyes but she wouldn't give in. She only smiled and licked his lips again making his arousal worsened. "Fine then," he grinned.

**--O.O--**

Cena bent his head and started planting slow, lingering kisses on her neck. Allison moaned with pleasure at the feel of his lips; it was music to Cena's ears. He trailed his tongue along the side of her face making a path towards her ear. He grazed it with his teeth while his hands started inching up her sides.

"This is the point where you say yes or no," he whispered. His hands lingered at her sides, his lips teasing her earlobes while he waited for a reply.

"Do you…do you really love me?" she whispered. Cena lifted his head so that he could look her in the eye.

"Yes…I do baby girl. I love you very much." For the first time all night, she could genuinely smile. She pressed her lips hard against his and he let his tongue probe her mouth, kissing her hungrily. His hands wasted no time sliding up her shirt feeling around for her soft breasts. He squeezed them gently drawing a low moan from her.

"Cena…"

"I hear ya baby girl." He sat up and yanked the pants off of her all in one go. She giggled at the impatient act which only turned him on even more. "You should giggle more often." He dropped to his knees and began running his hands up her legs until he reached her thighs.

"J…John? What are you…?"

"I'm going to give you everything you need and more," he whispered. He grabbed her thighs and jerked her towards him. The sudden shift made Allison squeal but when she felt his lips graze her inner thigh she immediately fell back into heaven. His lips inched even higher until they reached the lace of her underwear.

"Cena…" He only chuckled as his tongue followed the lace down and around stopping at her sex. His tongue teased her sex through the lace playfully and he could feel her body started to shake ever so lightly. _Just what I want baby girl._ He slid her panties off and tossed them to the side before covering her with his mouth.

**--Um...--**

Kim unbuckled Shawn's jeans and helped him get out of them before pulling his body back to hers.

"My, my aren't we aggressive tonight?" he teased. She glared at him but only for a second. She could feel his arousal in between her legs and it was driving her insane.

"Shawn…Shawn please…"

"I love hearing you say my name like that," he whispered. "Tell me you want me."

"I…" He ran a hand up her body until he reached her breast. He squeezed one gently, pinching the tender erect nipple, forcing another moan from her lips.

"How about I play with you for a while?" he teased.

"Shawn…I could just kill you." She stared at him, her eyes misty with desire.

"But you can't because you are completely and totally at my mercy," he whispered. He slid his body up and down hers, his arousal grazing her stomach. With each movement, he was setting her on fire and that's just what he wanted. Without warning, he grabbed her by the waist and lifted her slightly before thrusting inside of her, feeling the warmth that he'd been missing for weeks contract around him.

"SHAWN!" she screamed, but he covered her mouth silencing her.

"Mmm…you shouldn't scream so loudly. Don't wanna wake the neighbors," he chuckled. "You better hang on tight sweetheart because I get the feeling we're going to be on this wall for quite sometime."

**--SCREAM--**

Cena's tongue caressed her sex lightly before he allowed his fingers access. Allison cried out as he entered her but after a while her soft cries turned to moans and then whimpers. The whimpers let Cena know that she was ready for him and he was only too happy to oblige. He slid his body over hers and parted her legs in the process settling himself comfortably in between. She stared up at him and Cena couldn't stop his heart from pounding. The last time Allison was in his bed, she looked scared to death. Her face was pale and her eyes reeked of nothing but fear…fear that was no longer there. In fact, a beautiful smile was teasing him as she wriggled her body underneath him.

"Allison…"

"I love you," she whispered. A tear fell down her cheek but he was only too happy to kiss it away.

"I love you too baby girl," he whispered before thrusting inside of her taking her on a journey that she'd never forget.

* * *

**AN:**** The longest chapter you'll get so far. Yes, I know. I should be ashamed of myself but I have a confession to make. I am a perve. Not really but I can be from time to time. But you know what? I really don't think I was being a perve. As you can see, I tried to make the scenes a bit innocent you know? I can write straight smut but smut does not fit this story. Shawn and Kim on the other hand…well…they've been through hell and back and it's only going to get worse for them. Te he he So I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I hope you've been enjoying the story so far. The end is nearing. A chapter or two and I'll be done. I am leaving it open for a sequel because when/if I get time, Oh Choices III must be written or 1smartblonde will kick my butt. Oh and BTW, I have another story that I am writing. It's an Eric Bishoff/Stephanie McMahon fic. Yeah I know but if you're fans of HHH, HBK, Stacy, or Eric, I think you should check it out. It kinda ties in with this story and Oh Choices. I need to rename them all since they are technically apart of a series but that will come in due time. Love you guys. Sorry about the late update. It's 3 am and I need sleep. REVIEW!**


	14. Chapter 14

Allison woke up the next morning feeling better than ever. She had slept like a baby that night and it was all because of the man sleeping soundly next to her. She rolled over, nuzzling her face into his chest.

"Mmm…you better be careful. You might wake a sleeping dragon," he grinned. His voice was deep and husky so she had apparently awakened him.

"Awe…I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

"Not really. I was only half asleep. I woke up about an hour ago and you were still sleeping soundly. I was enjoying the sweet sound of your breathing. Oh and you know what else?" he asked. He ran his fingers lightly through her hair making her giggle.

"What else?"

"You slept the entire night. No bad dreams or anything." He kissed the top of her head then rolled over on top of her. "It makes me feel good to know that you feel safe with me."

"I do. For the first time in my life, I feel safe and…loved," she added softly. He lowered his mouth to hers kissing her softly.

"You should because you are," he murmured. She wrapped her legs around him inviting him to take her once again and he only obliged, as he slowly began to make love to her all over again.

**--xx--**

"You're awake. Finally."

"Oh stop it," Kim grinned. At some point during their love making, they actually made it to the bed but if you asked them when, neither could possibly begin to tell you.

"It feels good waking up to my baby. You have no idea how much I've missed you." He played in her hair as it was sprawled across his chest. She sighed and began running her fingers over his nipples.

"And I've missed you," she whispered. "Not a day goes by that I don't wish I could feel your arms wrapped around me. I love you so much that I sometimes cry when I watch you on TV. Sad huh?"

"Never sad baby. I think it's sweet. You have no idea how I feel right now. I guess this is what it feels like to have a heart full of love. I know that I loved my wife but…I can't recall ever feeling like this. You can say that I'm a cheesy romantic but I honestly believe that you can be completed," he chuckled.

"Do I complete you?" Kim asked.

"Of course you do sweetie." Kim laughed before climbing on top of him. "Whoa there tiger. You have any idea what you're getting yourself into?"

"Well…when we're married, I'll be moving to your ranch in Texas right?"

"Only if you want to."

"Of course I do," she laughed, "But the thing is I've never ridden a horse."

"You don't say," he grinned, raising his eyebrows. He slid his hands up her tummy until he reached her breasts squeezing them gently. "You know, I like this view of you." He thrust his hips forward making her bounce.

"Shawn!"

"I'm sorry. I couldn't resist. I've always wondered what you'd look like bouncing in front of me. Are you sure you're ready for a horse? I hear the ones raised in Texas can be pretty wild."

"Bring it on," she grinned. He lifted her by the waist and settled himself inside of her before she set her own pace, rocking back and forth, making love to him the way she wanted to.

**--xx--**

A few hours later, Shawn was knocking on Cena's door.

"Coming," Allison hollered. She opened the door to find Shawn and Kim standing at the door. "Kim! Shawn!"

"Hey girl!" Kim grinned. A second later Allison could feel Cena's arms enclosing her waist. He planted a kiss on her neck and grinned at his friends.

"You're not harassing my woman are you Kim?" he grinned.

"Uh…no. I don't want to be reacquainted with the wall again," she mumbled. Shawn kissed her cheek and shrugged.

"I thought the wall was very nice to you considering everything."

"Oh wow," Allison laughed. "I don't want to know."

"You know Allison, you almost got acquainted with the wall last night," Cena smirked.

"You know what? Allison, let's you and I go for a drink. Shawn won't mind me taking his truck." Kim snatched the keys out of his hand then she and Allison headed out the door. Shawn shook his head and watched the ladies as they drove off.

"She better be glad I love her. I wouldn't even let Rhi drive my truck."

"That's because you knew better." The guys went in Cena's living room and settled on the couch, each feeling better than ever.

"I take it you had a good night," Shawn asked.

"No. I had a great night," he grinned.

"I bet you did."

"And so did you from the sound of it."

"Yeah well we uh…we didn't make it to the bed."

"I thought you weren't going to…you know, until you're married."

"I didn't plan on it but…she's too damn hard to resist. She…she made me do it," he winced. "It was great teasing that sweet little body of hers but uh…we won't discuss that. But I have you to know that it won't happen again."

"Yeah…sure."

"What's the plan for Monday night?"

"Well, I know Allison is going with me but I have something I want to discuss with you about Monday. I have plans but I want to run them by you to see what you think. And…I might need Kim's help."

"Okay. Let's hear it. I'm sure it's good."

"Oh you have no idea…"

**-RAW-**

The week seemed to fly right on by, way too quickly for Kim's taste. It was Monday night and they were at Cena's condo getting ready for the show. Instead of paying to stay at the hotel for the rest of the week, Cena had insisted that they all stay at his place. The girls slept in one room while Cena and Shawn stayed in another. This was simply to keep Shawn from sinning any more than he'd already sinned. Cena was also trying to do right by Allison so he had no problem laughing his ass off every night while Shawn complained about the evils of great sex.

"You girls almost ready?" Kelly asked.

"Oh calm yourself Kelly. We have plenty of time," Brittney laughed. She was standing in front of the tall mirror in the guest room checking herself out. She was wearing (as usual) so teeny tiny white boy shorts and a pink, spaghetti strapped tank. Her hair was pulled back with a pink ribbon tied around the end of her hair. "Perfect," she grinned.

"I see someone's going out of their way to look nice," Kim mumbled.

"Hey, you're one to talk. Look at you; those tight hip hugger jeans and an HBK shirt that's been cut to show off some skin. Oh and…you're wearing make-up. You NEVER wear make-up," Brittney huffed.

"Oh wow children. Get a grip. It's time to get going," Kelly insisted.

"I'm thinking you're a little TOO excited," Brittney replied.

"Well excuse me but I can't help it if I'm the only one out of this group deprived of hot man!" She turned and stormed out of the room. Kim and Brittney just laughed.

"She needs to find a man tonight. Maybe we can hook her up with Snitsky," Brittney giggled.

"Oh wow. Gross. Well we need to get going. Shawn did say that we needed to get there kind of early."

"Alright. Uh…where's Allison?" Brittney asked.

"She's in the car. She was tired of pacing the room because of her nervousness."

"Oh ok. KELLY….WE'RE LEAVING NOW…"

**--CENA--**

"You ready for tonight?" Shawn asked. He and Cena were in the locker room lacing up for the night.

"Yeah, I am. I'm just…a little nervous and when I got up this morning, I so wanted to puke man."

"I know the feeling but it's going to be alright."

"Yeah I think you're right." They started for the door and headed out into the halls.

"Hey guys!"

"Matt! Hey man. How's it going?" Shawn asked, pulling him into a guy hug.

"Oh man. I'm pumped for the night and I'm pumped for something else," he grinned.

"Oh the girl?" Cena asked.

"Yeah and you know Cena, isn't it high time you find yourself a girlfriend. I mean, you're like the only single guy back here…well, next to Morrison, but he doesn't count according to Jeff."

"Well, I…"

"SHAWN! MATT! CENA!" The guys turned to see Brittney and the others running towards them.

"Oh man…" Matt groaned. He ran up to Brittney and planted a hungry kiss on her lips.

"Mmm…Matt," she giggled. "I didn't think you'd…"

"Miss you much?" he whispered, his lips now exploring her neck. "You have no idea Miss Brittney." He pulled away and studied her closely, an evil grin forming across his lips. "You and those shorts."

"What? You don't like them?" she pouted.

"I'd like them better on the floor," he mumbled.

"Ahem!" Matt looked up to see Kim, her arms folded across her chest. There were also two other ladies with her that he'd never seen before. Both were very hot in his opinion but he only had eyes for his prize in front of him.

"Kim…I'm so sorry. I was being rude."

"It's ok. Matt these are my friends Allison and Kelly. Both are here tonight for their first ever Raw so be nice to them," she grinned.

"No problem babe." He shook both of their hands before Kim led them away to where Shawn and Cena were standing. Kim slid her arms around Shawn's waist and up his shirt.

"You better be careful," he said softly as her hands wandered around his chest area. "I have a long time before my match tonight. You know how I am. Don't start something you can't finish." He turned around and planted a kiss on his fiance's lips.

"Awe, but I like your chest."

"And I like your breasts but do you see me sexually assaulting you in public?" he joked.

"Oh wow you two," Cena grinned. He shook his head before turning his attention to Allison, who was looking around taking in her surroundings. He used the opportunity to plant a kiss on her neck, making her jump.

"John!"

"Baby girl you looked a little spacey. Can you see me?" he asked waving a hand in her face.

"Of course I can see you," she grinned. "Don't make give you an RKO."

"RKO? I thought you didn't watch wrestling?"

"I don't but I learned a thing or two from my brother."

"Uh, not trying to ruin the moment but you're on in ten buddy."

"Oh damn. Thanks Shawn. Hey baby girl I gotta go." He kissed her lips and started off to the back.

"You're with us," said Kim. She motioned for Allison to follow her and Kelly to their designated seats so that they could watch the show.

"Uh…where's Brittney?" Kelly asked.

"She's in the show. She's with Matt."

"Oh…damn that lucky chick," Kelly grumbled.

"Yeah, I uh…have to run into the crowd later and hit Edge with a chair."

"You're in the show too?" Allison asked.

"Yeah. You see, Brittney and I are actually a tag team and we are a part of Team Extreme when the occasion calls for it. Ooo, here are our seats. Front and center, the way it should be."

"I think that is so cool!" Allison exclaimed.

"Yeah well that's nothing compared to…well you'll see," Kim grinned.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Alli asked.

"Uh…nothing. Just…enjoy the show."

**--xx--**

Matt and Brittney were the first match of the show. Matt had a single's match against MVP. Matt won that one in no time since Brittney hit him in the head with the title belt.

"Can they do that?" Allison asked.

"Well, anything goes with the ref isn't looking," Kelly replied.

After a divas tag match, it was time for Cena's match against Orton. Time Cena's music hit the crowd erupted. There wasn't a man or woman who wasn't on his feet.

"Wow," Allison whispered. She watched as Cena saluted the crowed and headed down the ramp. He slid into the ring and threw off his shirt and chains, readying for battle. Orton came out there next, stopping only at the ramp to strike a pose.

"Damn he's hot. I'd like to make a pose with him," Kelly muttered. Allison and Kim cut Kelly a look before the sound of the bell drew them back into the match at hand.

The match started off with a bunch of reversals, Cena matching Randy for every hard grapple. It soon became a battle of the punches as they hammered into one another blow after blow.

"God that looks painful," Allison said softy. She was now on her feet watching Cena with eyes of concern.

"He'll be fine," Kim said shortly. "He's the champ. You can't take him down that easily." The momentum turned quickly when Cena managed to dodge an RKO. While Orton lay motionless on the ground, Cena took advantage of the situation by placing Randy in the STFU. Randy immediately sat up and started dragging himself towards the ropes but Cena was too strong. Thirty seconds later and he was tapping to the submission hold, the ref helping Cena up and raising his arm high in the air signaling victory. Cena stood in the ring and posed for a few pictures before asking Lillian for the mic. The crowd got really quiet as they waited for the champ to speak.

"So…um…I bet you guys want an update from last week right?" he asked. The crowed cheered and whistled, most shouting update very hysterically as he shook his head. "Well…I have you to know that…everything is fine, or so it seems." The tone of his voice changed into a very serious one. Everyone got quiet; Allison however, felt like she wanted to cease to exist. _What the hell is he talking about?_ She sat there staring at her lap, afraid to meet his eyes for she wasn't quite sure what was about to happen. Everything was alright unless…maybe she had done something wrong. Maybe it was all a lie. Maybe…

"Baby girl, can you come here please?" The camera guy focused his lens on Allison who just sat there frozen in place.

"Go!" Kelly hissed.

"It's alright. Go on," Kim urged. Allison slowly stood to her feet, her stomach in knots. The King helped her over the banister and she started a slow walk towards the ring._ Oh God…What now? _Her face was drained of all color and she wanted to just run away but there was no where to go. Cena held the ropes for her as she climbed inside. She stood there scared as ever as Cena paced the ring. The eerie silence in the arena was doing nothing for her nerves but there was nothing she could do but stand there. The next thing she knew, Cena ran up to her and wrapped his arms around her. The crowd went nuts and erupted into applauses. While he was holding her, he brought the mic to his lips, which were now right at her ear and he began to speak softly into the mic.

"I love you Allison and I don't know if you love me like I love you, but the entire stadium and millions watching at home are about to find out." In the next instance, Shawn Michael's music hit and down the ramp came HBK. He stopped at the ramp and clasped his hands in prayer, the massive pyro behind him driving the crowd wild. He hurried down the ramp and shook a few hands before running up to his fiancé.

"What are you…?" she started but he kissed her lips, cutting her off before winking and sliding into the ring. He walked up to Cena and threw his arm around his buddy. Then he reached under his cowboy hat pulling out a small, white box. Allison eyes went wide with fright as Cena took the box from Shawn and kissed her hand.

"What are you…?" He got down on one knee and raised the mic to his lips.

"Baby girl, I know I told you that I love you but…but it's not enough for me to just say it. I have to prove it. Plus, I don't want Shawn to outdo me. That being said, I think you know what I'm about to ask." He dropped the mic then opened the small box. Inside was a beautiful engagement ring. On the inside of the ring, Cena had the jeweler put an inscription that said 'Cena Loves Alli'. Allison just stared at the ring, tears now streaming down her face. Her throat was all knotted up and she felt lightheaded.

"Whoa, don't faint kid," Shawn whispered. He was standing behind her, his head resting on her shoulder.

"What do you say baby girl? Will you be my Chain Gang Princess for Life? Or--for all you traditionalists--my wife?" All she could do was nod. She was crying so hard that it was now hard for her to breathe. Cena put the ring on her finger then pulled her into a warm embrace. He too was now crying a little. The main event was next but for all Cena knew, he had his main event in his arms and he couldn't wait to seal the deal when he would finally say 'I do'.

**--HBK--**

"Wow. That was so sweet," Kelly sniffled.

"Yeah I know," Kim replied now wiping her eyes.

"Well that was the surprise of the night though I'm sure this match will prove to be an interesting one."

"Yeah. It's always interesting when it involves Edge." Seconds later, Edge's music hit and started down the ramp. He wasn't alone this time which came as quite the surprise to everyone in the arena. It had been months since Lita's retirement and know one knew of Edge dating anyone. Shawn twisted his face in confusion but shrugged it off thinking maybe Vince had come up with something in the last minute.

"I don't think I've seen her before," Kelly noted. The girl was super skinny like a model and had long blonde hair. She was wearing some black boy shorts and red halter. She was sporting the same shades as Edge so it was hard to get a good look at her. The girl climbed up the stairs and into the ring. Then she stood back and watched as Edge slid into the ring. He stood up and headed for the right corner holding his belt high into the air. He turned to his girl and planted a kiss on her lips before taking off his coat and shades handing them to the ref. The girl did the same, taking off her shades revealing beautiful blue eyes. Kim's face went pale and she felt as though she were going to be sick.

"Kim? Kim what's wrong?" Kelly asked. She noticed the change in her friend and she was now starting to panic.

"That's…I can't believe…" Her voice trailed off as she started choking back sobs.

"Kim? Honey what's…?" But the look on Shawn's face told her all that she needed to know. He was just standing there pale looking as if he'd seen a ghost. The blonde woman flashed him a smile before exiting the ring. It all happened so fast; Shawn gave Edge the superkick and then covered him for the pin. The ref looked totally confused but made the three count anyway, possibly out of fear of Shawn. Shawn quickly exited the ring and headed towards the crowd where Kim and Kelly were sitting.

"You two come with me," he insisted. Kelly nodded while Kim only gave him a pleading look. "It's going to be alright. Just…we need to get out of here before I do something I'll regret." He helped Kelly and Kim onto the floor and then they hurriedly exited behind the curtain. When they were a safe distance down the hall, Shawn picked up a chair and flung it against the wall.

"Whoa! Shawn! What's wrong man?" Cena heard the commotion since he was right around the corner and so he and Allison decided to come see what was up.

"I can't believe those two. No…I can't believe…WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON AROUND HERE?!" he shouted.

"Alright, you're going to have to explain…" He was cut off by Adam, who was now storming towards them rubbing his jaw.

"Hey Shawn! What the hell was that for you bastard? Why'd you kick me like that? You could have broken my freaking jaw!" Shawn ran up to Adam and stood toe to toe with him, staring him down.

"You deserved it."

"I don't…"

"Boy don't play with me," he said dangerously. "You know good and damn well why I kicked you and I'll do it again if I have to."

"LEAVE HIM ALONE SHAWN!" Adam backed away and let the blonde lady come through. Her face was red and she was mad as hell. "What's the meaning of this?" she shrieked.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Shawn asked. Rhi just stared at him for a moment as if he disgusted her before letting out a haughty laugh.

"I am here with my fiancé." Adam smiled when she wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest.

"Fine. Whatever. You two were made for each other," Shawn muttered. "Come on sweetie. Let's get out of here," he replied turning to Kim.

"Oh you brought the whore with you," Rhi grinned.

"She's not a…"

"Anyone who dates a man twice their age and divorced is probably a whore," she said casually. "Anyway, I don't want that whore around my son."

"Well I'm sorry you feel that way but Kim isn't going anywhere darling."

"Well a court order says differently."

"What the hell does that mean?" Kelly asked. Everyone turned and stared at Kelly but she didn't care. Already she was beginning to hate this lady and since Kim was too scared to breathe, Kelly decided she'd roll with the punches.

"Oh are you another one of Shawn's…"

"I AM NOT A WHORE YOU SKINNY BI…" But a hand covering her mouth stopped her speaking. Kelly looked up to see John Morrison standing behind her. He leaned over and began whispering in her hear.

"Trust me. It's not worth it." Kelly folded her arms across her chest and sulked while waiting for answers.

"I'm not in the mood for this. Kim sweetie, let's go home."

"What are you going to do about your son?" Rhi asked.

"Where is he?"

"He's at my mother's. I was going to bring him to the show but you know how that goes. I told him that you'd pick him up in the morning."

"Huh? Wait, Rhi. You know that's a four hour drive from here. I'm too tired to…"

"I can drive you sweetie," Kim answered.

"Like hell you will. You're not allowed around my son."

"And why not?" Shawn asked.

"God you two are deaf. I told you earlier. I have a court order stating that she is too violent to be around my son."

"Huh? That can't be right," Shawn scoffed. "She never did anything to you."

"Oh on the contrary she did. Remember last year at that ball? She practically assaulted me with her words. I felt threatened for my life by the way she angered so quickly. I'm afraid my son will do something minor and she'd go all 'mommy dearest' on him," she said sweetly.

"What idiot judge would fall for that?" Kelly laughed.

"One that has an eyewitness and likes to get paid," Rhi said smugly.

"You're kidding me right?" Shawn laughed.

"Nope." Rhi reached into the small black purse that she had been carrying and pulled out a piece of folded paper. She handed to Shawn who opened and began reading silently. His smile faded with each passing second. It was in fact, a court order stating that Kim should stay so many feet away from her son or risk getting arrested. Shawn crumpled the paper in his hand tossing to the ground.

"You two…God there are so many things I wish I could do to you but I can't," he said angrily. "Rhi, you have surpassed low. Do you really hate her that much to pull some bullshit like this? What has she ever done to you? What have _I_ ever…?"

"You left me and she exists. Good enough reason for you?" Rhi said calmly. Shawn lunged at Rhi Viola Fields style but Cena held him back.

"Chill man. Don't let her get to you."

"You know Shawn maybe neither one of you are suited to take care of children," Adam snapped. "You almost assaulted my fiancé. That constitutes a restraining order. Yeah. That's right. A restraining order. Keep away from Rhi or else. Oh and uh…we'll see you in court soon. We want full custody of Michael."

They all watched in silence as Adam walked off. He was followed closely by Rhi, who was flinging her long hair around.

"THAT BITCH!" Kelly screamed.

"Hey, I thought I said no bad words," Morrison joked.

"Yeah well she is a bitch."

"You can let me go now," Shawn muttered.

"Are you sure?" Cena asked. "You promise not to go after them?"

"Yeah." Cena let him go and he began to pace.

"I knew it. I just…knew it was too good to be true," Kim whispered. Shawn stopped pacing and ran over to her.

"No baby. Don't talk like…"

"No Shawn. You can't. I won't let you choose me over your son."

"But…"

"You know what we have to do," she said faintly.

"Just what are you saying?" he asked. His voice was full of hurt and anger. It was all starting to come out in the form of tears steadily streaming down his face. He cupped her face looking her in the eye but she closed them, tears falling down her cheeks as well.

"You have to let me go," she choked.

"No, no I won't…" He started shaking his head but continued to nod.

"You have to. It's the only way. She's…she's won Shawn. Don't you see? It just wasn't supposed to happen for me."

"Yes it was. Don't talk like this," he cried. "We'll…we'll get through this. You have to trust me Kim. I love you too much to just let you walk out on us without a fight." He grabbed her, pulling her into a warm embrace while she sobbed in his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair comforting her with each stroke. "We're going to fight sweetheart. I will not let that woman ruin us again."

**--MyTimeIsNow--**

It had been a night full of emotions and though Cena was upset about Rhi, he was still on cloud nine because he was now engaged. Allison's head was resting in his lap and she was sound asleep. They were in his limo heading back to his condo. He played with the strands of her hair smiling down at her. _I love you baby girl and I'm certain I made the right choice. My time is now…no, our time is right now baby girl._ He kissed her cheek before dozing off as well with nothing but sweet dreams of the future that lay ahead for the both of them.

**Fin.**

* * *

**AN: Alright. Whew! It's like 7:30 am. I have been up all friggen night because I had a report for Latin American Politics and stupid pointless Civil War questions. Damn that woman! Sorry about the rant but I have a major headache and I am in dire need of caffeine. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. That's it. It's over. No more. Now about the ending…Rhi is Shawn's ex wife. She makes her first triumphant appearance in 'Oh Choices II'. I really can't understand why people hate the poor woman. I absolutely adore her. I think she's just misunderstood. Oh well. If you want background on the beautiful Rhianna then go read the other stories. Sheesh. As I was saying, the ending basically sets up for 'Oh, Choices III' but I am highly unlikely to write it anytime soon. I have way too many stories that I am desperately trying to finish and I have just started writing slash. Bwahahahaha. Well I think that's all. Questions. Comments. Review and let me know. I love you guys and thanks goes out to everyone who stuck with this fic. I know the updates slowed at one point but you never failed to review when I updates and that makes me happy. That's why I push to give you nothing but the best.**


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